Undergraduate Engineering Placement Student Review

I have enjoyed my placement year at Caterpillar due to the friendly nature of the work environment and the people that I have been working with. I have enjoyed being involved in a wide array of projects from current production issues to future product development and also being able to get hands on when developing designs.

Once I was able to learn the various systems used by Caterpillar I have been able to dive further into the work and learn the systems in more detail. This allowed me to embed myself into the general team and I was given more responsibility and have been able to look after my own projects. Because of this I felt more valued by the team and overall I have felt like a part of team making the placement more enjoyable.

Direct management and team leaders are generally hard to get hold of and schedule time with so generally was given limited support from them, however I have had direct contacts within the team who have assisted where needed and been able to help me guide projects, ensuring they stick to plan. Having a direct contact within the team has been more beneficial as they generally know all the processes and programmes which you are using.

My work fluctuated with company demand, there have been very few days in which I have had 'nothing' to do but at the same time very few days in which I have been overloaded. On a whole I have had sufficient work each day to keep me busy but towards the end of projects or during times when I have been waiting for parts etc. my work has died down. Personally I would prefer more work so that when a project is coming to an end I am able to pick up something else to occupy my time.

I was given the responsibly of managing my own projects and my own time, every fortnight we would have a one to one meeting in which I would discuss the projects and how they were progressing, however outside of that it was up to me. The only issue was that deadlines were not set for my work, (if they were I didn't know about it), this made it difficult for me to prioritise my work.

Caterpillar are very good for providing training, I was able to complete 'Caterpillar Print Reading Training' along with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) level 1 and 2. This was very useful to me as GD&T is not something in which I learnt at university however it is used in every caterpillar drawing. I have also improved my time management skills as I have been able to balance projects which will help me at university.

The atmosphere in the office was not one in which I have been used to, originally I worked in a workshop where you could always chat to someone whilst you were working. However the office environment was very dull, people kept themselves to themselves and socialising was kept to a minimum.

The placement scheme was ran very efficiently, the HR department were quick to get in touch when required and any questions were answered. All the mandatory training was done at the beginning before you were introduced to your team and then you were let loose. Regular forums were held in which any issues were raised and any issues were sorted.

Caterpillar were very good at providing training for their processes and if training was happening we were always encouraged to sign up. I was able to complete 'Caterpillar Print Reading Training’ along with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) level 1 and 2, this was very useful as it is not something in which I have previously covered whilst at university.

I would definitely consider a graduate scheme at Caterpillar as I have enjoyed working here, however I would be hoping for a slightly more hands on role.

There are plenty of other placement students and graduates at Caterpillar so there are always people around your age to socialise with. Sporadic nights out and meals are regularly organised and as long as you're willing to get engaged everyone is friendly, most days everyone goes for lunch together which is a good bonding activity.

Leicester is generally cheap to live and has cheap city prices for food and drink.

Nightlife in Desford is limited with only one fairly busy pub, however Leicester is close by with good sports teams and plenty of bars.

There are regular emails sent out to let you know what's going on and it up to you if you want to get involved