Environment and Transport Intern Review

I really enjoyed my time at BuroHappold and valued the chance to work across two separate teams. I was given a wide range of tasks to complete over the two months, from data analysis work to report writing. I felt that this gave me a good insight into what working for the company might be like. I also valued the chance to accompany other members of the team on site visits and when they went to meet clients - an opportunity I was not given when interning at another company the previous year.

Part of the reason I enjoyed my time at BuroHappold so much was that I felt trusted and valued by the other members of the team. I was given responsibility to work independently from the very first week of my placement, undertaking a lengthy study on servicing, logistics and waste in London restaurants and office buildings. Ultimately, I felt like I was making a useful contribution during my two months at BuroHappold, and at the end of my placement, both teams were keen to let me know how valuable I had been.

I would arrange a weekly Skype call with two supervisors (one from the Environment team, the other from Transport). These Skype calls proved very useful, giving me a chance to touch base with both teams and receive feedback on what I had been working on. In the office, members from all teams were very helpful and keen to answer any questions I had.

On some days I was very busy; on others I was not. This was one area in which the placement might be improved, although, given the nature of the work, it was to be expected that I would have some days that were quieter than others. I thought it was a good idea to have me work on an extended piece of research (the servicing, logistics and waste study), as this meant that I could occupy myself for the duration of the eight weeks, even if project work and other tasks did dry up. I would recommend having a similar 'project' for future interns to work on.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement. I was trusted to work independently for eight weeks on the servicing, logistics and waste survey. Moreover, I was encouraged to present to the rest of the London Cities office at internal coms. By the end of my placement, I was even trusted to help out with project work.

The data analysis and report writing skills I developed will certainly prove useful in my final year of study. However, it was the confidence that I gained over the two months that I feel will benefit me most in the longer term. Having to organise my own interviews - and adapt when things didn't quite go to plan - is another skill which will assist me in the future.

Everyone was very open and willing to answer any questions I had. There was a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in the office which made it easy to settle in during my first week.

Having the extended project to work on meant that I was occupied on most days. The placement had a rough structure, and I was provided with a Gantt chart on my first day, so that I could visualise what I needed to do and when I needed to do it by. If I was to give one suggestion, it would be to have more opportunities to interact with the other interns and the grads currently working at BuroHappold. There was a meet-and-greet session which I enjoyed very much, but it would have been good to have had an opportunity to meet earlier on in the placement - perhaps an intern lunch on the first day.

I felt very valued and invested in. Both teams were keen to get me involved in a wide range of tasks and projects, so that I could maximise what I got out of the placement. I was trusted to develop new skills, such as working with Bluebeam, rather than being restricted to menial tasks and Excel analysis work (a situation I had found myself in on a previous placement).

Very - I have been offered a job starting in September 2017!

I knew the other interns working on my floor, and would often go to lunch with them, but would have liked more opportunities to meet other placement students, particularly those working in the Buildings office.

I lived at home during the placement which saved me a lot of money. Travel, however, was still very expensive.

This was not so relevant to my placement. However, I did enjoy going to the pub on a couple of Fridays after work with members working in other teams. I was also able to speak with more senior members of staff on these occasions.

There were lots of opportunities to get involved with sports and 'extra-curricular' engineering.