Undergraduate Engineer Review

I did very much enjoy my placement working on the Phase 2 Project in Chatham. My working hours were 7:30 - 17:30 which I felt was very reasonable for a construction site. At the beginning of my placement I was taught at a pace I was comfortable at and after two weeks I began to take on responsibilities. These responsibilities increased proportionally to the time I had been working. I feel I have learnt a huge amount about engineering and I now feel comfortable preforming the key tasks of a graduate engineer.

The best feature about my placement was the enthusiastic attitude of the people I worked with. As this was my first time on site I was apprehensive that I would struggle to learn the relevant skills and that I would not be of use to the project. However as soon as I arrived I was made to feel comfortable. Every person had a genuine enthusiasm to teach me the skills which they have learnt in the industry. They were also aware of the fact that this was my first time on site and so taught at a pace which I was comfortable at. This attitude made me feel like a very valued member of the team.

During my placement I was working under the supervision of two engineers currently at different phases on Sisk's graduate programme, Excelerate. Both made sure that I was developing my skills as an engineer but also made it clear that if I struggled with any of the tasks I could ask for help. They understood that spoon feeding would not help me learn and that I needed to make my own mistakes but at the same time I never felt out of my depth. I also worked with a more senior engineer who would always provide me with the tricks he had picked up over his career to maximise the efficiency of each job. This guidance I am sure will provide very valuable in the future.

During the first two weeks I was looking for jobs fairly regularly. However before the placement began I had no experience working on a construction site, no CSCS card and I did not have the knowledge or skills to complete many of the tasks I would later be given. The team did a very good job at finding useful work for me to do whilst they were completing their own tasks, and always took me out on site when there was an opportunity to learn. After the first two weeks the variety of jobs I could complete had widened immensely as I was quickly being taught the skills required of an engineer. As a result after this time period to the completion of my placement I always had work to do.

As my skillset increased the responsibility I was awarded also increased accordingly. At the beginning of my placement I was responsible for setting out points already imported onto the remote and some less important office work. As my placement progressed I was given the responsibility of giving site inductions, extracting points from the designers drawings, setting those points out, managing the as built information/ surveying and comprising the validation report. These are just a few of many responsibilities I was awarded with by the end of my placement.

The skills I have learnt will definitely be very useful for my future engineering career. The practical experience gained during this placement means I am now confident with a large number of key skills expected from an engineer, which I will certainly use once I have graduated. As my degree is largely theoretical a large number of the skills I have learnt will probably not be used for my degree. The main skills which I feel will be transferable, are the managerial and design skills. During my time on site I have been exposed to a large number of drawings which will be very useful when comprising my design project next year.

The general atmosphere in the office was very friendly. Everyone in the office knew the importance of being productive but also having a conversation during quiet times. Motivational sweets and cakes were also consistently provided throughout the project. All members of staff were very approachable and at no time did I feel like there was a negative atmosphere.

Prior to starting my placement I felt the organisation from SISK was exceptional. Despite having a restricted summer schedule the emerging talents manager quickly arranged the dates to accommodate for myself. This level of organisation continued during my placement with any issues or quires quickly being resolved. My manager always made sure that I had enough jobs and responsibility to help me progress at a fast rate but not too much that I felt out of my depth. Speaking to other placement students at university I understand this balance is difficult to achieve and was not something I was expecting.

I have participated in this placement due to the SUCCESS scheme run by the University of Southampton. This scheme means that I will have the potential to complete a placement every summer for John Sisk. It is the intention of the university that the company will then offer long term employment after I have completed my degree. However this is not an obligation. I hope that I have proven myself during my placement so that I have a strong prospect of returning for long term employment.

Working with the two younger graduate engineers has been very beneficial. However, the social scene throughout the office has been very good; not just with younger people. For example most members of staff will go out for drinks and some participate in sporting activities after work. Due to not living in the area I didn't go out to the bars late during my placement but the offer was always when an occasion arose.

I can not comment on this as I was not living in the area.

I can not comment on this as I was not living in the area.