Intern - Mechanical Review

I enjoyed my placement at Rolls Royce Control Systems very much. Rolls Royce Control Systems promotes a high performance culture in which people work together to achieve common goals. I very much bought in to this culture, helping me to enjoy my placement to the fullest.

My colleagues treated me as though I was a full time employee and with respect i.e. didn't treat me like I didn't know what I was talking about. My colleagues provided me with assistance when I required it and were always happy to help with any issues that arose from my work.

I held regular one to one meetings with my manager, talking through my current work and covering any issues that had arisen from it. Most issues were always resolved within the session, with those that weren't requiring communication with other people in order to resolved them.

How busy I was on a daily basis very much depended on the workload at the time. In the one to one meetings with my manager we would discuss the work I was doing. My manager and the rest of the team would then be able to adjust my workload accordingly.

At the beginning of my placement at Rolls Royce Control Systems I was not given too much responsibility. After working at the company for a while, the tasks I was given grew in responsbility, allowing me to develop my own management and organisational skills. These tasks allowed me to enhance my communication skills also.

The main skills I have developed over the course of my placement at Rolls Royce Control Systems are my organisational, task management and time management skills. I have also been introduced to engineering concepts that will be covered in my further studies at university. I feel I will use these skills very frequently upon returning to university.

Rolls Royce Control Systems promotes a ‘High Performance Culture’ and a philosophy of continuous improvement and innovation. This meant working in a fast paced environment. However, the atmosphere never changed, it maintained a calm atmosphere whilst also being hard working and helpful to those who needed it. It was a good place to work.

The work placement was very well organised. In my first one to one, goals for the internship were laid out and logged with deadlines set so that I could track adherence to them. Main aims included detailed descriptions of the tasks so I knew exactly what work I had to complete.

Rolls Royce Control Systems offered a variety of training courses over the duration of the placement. This included online courses and courses in the office. We were even sent to Derby for courses on the wider Rolls Royce plc, enhancing our knowledge of the aims and mission of the overall company.

Future employment prospects are very appealing to me. There are several routes that I may take, each being explained and advertised very clearly. These include further internships, summer and year, graduate schemes and direct entry jobs. I have been ensured that would be the opportunity to move around within the wider Rolls Royce if I was to come back, an opportunity I would like to explore.

One of the first things the interns did was set up an intern committee. This was done within work to raise issues with more senior people but also to organise events among the interns on placement at Rolls Royce Control Systems. Events included going to the cinema, hosting a weekly meal and snooker/pool evenings. Events were also run by the graduate committee.

Birmingham is a reasonably prices area. I have had very little trouble affording most things.

The nighlife in Birmingham was very good, there were plenty of bars and restaurants in the city centre.

Rolls Royce Control Systems offers 'Engagement Groups' as part of a 'Great Place to Work' initiative meaning there was always something new to get involved in.