Summer Intern - Civil Engineering Review

It was very enjoyable. Getting to put my knowledge into practice was particularly interesting and exactly what I wanted to get out of it. There were many social events and lunchtime learning sessions that allowed me to get to know new people and make my internship even more enjoyable. The colleagues around me made the experience very pleasant.

I felt very valued by my colleagues. I was asked at the start of my internship what I wanted to get out of the Summer, and they listened to what I had to say. After they realised my capabilities they gave me work accordingly. They were never patronising, but at the same time were always there to help if I needed it. I worked on some fairly serious Mott MacDonald projects so I believe they valued me highly.

I was assigned a buddy at the start of my internship, who was always there for me when I needed him. Whether it was to help me find work or to help me with work I already had he was only across the room. My managers were also very helpful. I had regular check ups from my immediate manager and a meeting with one of the seniors in the department about half way through the internship to check I was doing OK.

Once they understood how much I could do, there was a constant stream of work, of very high responsibility. To begin with, admittedly, work was hard to come by. I was given some more administrative jobs, and simple editing of engineering drawings. However, by the second week I was given design projects and work that was really of benefit to the company, There were days when I was in quite late when I had a lot of work to complete.

Once they understood how much I could do, there was a constant stream of work, of very high responsibility. I was given exciting design projects by the second week that showed that respected my ability and gave me great responsibility. I was given the opportunity to liaise with surveying companies and water providers on my own, with some guidance from senior engineers. All in all the responsibility I was given was very high.

I possibly learnt more in my Summer Internship than my previous two years at university. To begin with I struggled, but with help from my designated buddy and my immediate manager I was able to do things that I have never tried and maybe really struggled with at university. I was even shown how to work some computer programs that I wasn't working on with my projects, but may do in the future. Overall, Mott MacDonald wanted me to learn new things and really helped me to do so.

The atmosphere was a really fun working environment. There was a good mix of recent graduates and senior engineers to provide a good atmosphere. There were regular "lunch 'n' learn" sessions where I was able to both get to know people and learn about topics in design engineering. There were also social events including the Summer Barbecue which added to the positive atmosphere.

I was sent information about my first day months before it actually happened. It could have been a nerve wracking day but everything went as intended. I was told who my buddy would be, who my manager would be, where I would be working, what I needed to bring and how much training I would have to do at the start. It was very clear what I was going to be doing making the whole process very seamless.

I undertook many various online training programs that helped my personal development. Although some were legally undertaken, such as health and safety, others were not actually necessary at my level, but the company felt it would aid my development, such as asbestos awareness. The were regular meetings taken place to make sure I was getting exactly what I wanted out of the internship and too see if I wanted any more training or development activities.

I have been told that I would be welcome back in the future, and so I will be applying again. The contacts I made at the company mean I have references for the future, even if I decide to go down a different path. I will be, however, applying again, as I feel they have a superb graduate program that I will be excited to undertake. They are also a very fashionable company to work for, at the top of the engineering consultancy market.

I did not meet many fellow placement students, but there was a very good social scene amongst my colleagues. Other than the general social atmosphere created in and out of the work place, there were organised socials, including the Summer Barbecue and trip to an amusement park. My colleagues made it a priority to make me feel welcome in the social group from the first week,

I lived at home during the internship, so I can't really comment on the cost of living. The cost of socialising was, unsurprisingly, high given that the internship was in an area of London. However, the company did subsidise for some of the food and drinks at some of the company organised social events, such as the Summer Barbecue.

The nightlife was excellent. Given Croydon is an area of London, and getting into central London takes only around 20 minutes, there are many bars and clubs in the area. The colleagues at the office were also very outgoing people so there were people to enjoy the nightlife with. Work drinks were a regular in the office.

There were many opportunities to get involved in activities out of work. I went along to the football sessions once a week on a local AstroTurf. This was a good way to get to know other people around the company that I don't necessarily work immediately with. There were other organised socials that I was able to get involved with, some that were even subsidised by Mott MacDonald.