Process Engineer Review

All in all, it was a great experience. I got the chance to travel, attend training sessions, a development day and visit engineering sites. The work I was given was relevant and important to the company. I was busy every single day and there wasn't one moment where I had nothing to do. My support network was fantastic and everyone in the office was happy to help.

Everyone in the office, across all teams and from all disciplines, were willing to help. When I needed help, advice or even just a chat, everyone was willing to spend the time with you. My team trusted me to handle the work I was given but I wasn't left with no support. When I was unsure of what I was doing I had a large support network to rely on.

My manager was fantastic. On my first day we sat together and reviewed what I would be doing throughout the placement which ensured I had time to plan and think about the weeks ahead. I also had weekly meetings with my manager, ensuring that I was on track and that my work was to a decent standard. At times when my manager was not available, I had a buddy who I could receive support from.

Throughout my placement I was very busy. Alongside my projects, I was travelling most weeks to site visits and training sessions. In total, this took up quite a lot of time which resulted in many days with no progress. However, when I was back in the office this meant that I was kept constantly busy with my projects. I enjoyed having lots to do, and I knew that if it ever got on top of me, then my manager would understand and reduce the workload.

The work I was doing was very important to the company. It formed a part of a bigger study which was critical to the team. As such, I had to organise meetings to review my work as I knew how important it was. Even though there was a lot of responsibility, the support network was there to help.

Throughout the internship I attended Excel training, presentation training and a development day. The development day was not very useful in terms of developing skills, but it allowed you to meet other interns and was a fun day full of activities. The Excel and presentation training were useful, and I will use them throughout my career. Whilst completing my projects I also got the chance to develop skills such as business communication, technical skills and commercial awareness. The technical skills I gained will be very useful at university and after I graduate. However, the business communication skills and commercial awareness I gained are something which I couldn't have learned without the internship.

At times the office was very quiet, but during those times you were able to focus more and get w lot of work completed. Even though it was quiet, it was easy to connect with people. Everyone was very friendly and genuinely wanted to know how the internship was going. Everyone in the office was very hard-working, but always willing to support and spend time with you, It gave me a good understanding of the workplace and the role I will be involved in after I graduate. When fundraising for charity, everyone was very supportive and willing to support the cause,

My manager ensured that my internship was planned very well. When I arrived, I had a laptop, phone and computer already set up for me. Most of my software was already installed and any IT problems could be solved with a quick phone call. I didn't receive much advice about the content of the internship beforehand, but was able to ask for some background reading which was very useful. On my first day, my manager had prepared a document containing the work I would be doing. They had obviously put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that I would be kept busy with a relevant and interesting project.

The level of investment the company put into the other interns and I went well beyond what I expected. The presentation and excel training were very useful. Also the development day was lots of fun and a chance to meet other interns across the UK. Centrica were also happy to support site visits across the UK, which meant that I was able to go see the sites my projects were focused on.

I would be very happy to work for Centrica. Their company allows for lots of opportunities. After speaking to the graduates, I can see that they are given a lot of experience and responsibility in a relatively short time. With Centrica, you also get the chance to move from one team to another across the UK and Europe. This means that the graduates are very knowledgeable about the business. The projects and teams you can work in are very varied and mean that you are able to make informed decisions about what career path you want to follow after the internship. The company itself is full of very experienced and helpful engineers, who you can learn a lot from. Centrica provides a very open and welcoming environment where you will be supported in the early stages of your career. Many of the graduates completed summer internships themselves, which shows that the company are keen to hire summer placement students. At the end of the internship, I will present my work and experiences to the managers who will decide if a job offer will be made.

If you are interning in Windsor or Staines, then there are about 20 students in each. In Aberdeen there are a handful of interns which means that you can get to know them really well. Centrica provide accommodation with the other interns which means that you can explore Aberdeen together. In the office, there will be 'pay day drinks' and other events. These are not that frequent in the Aberdeen office. However, the more people you get to know, the more events you will get involved in.

Aberdeen is reasonable in terms of food shopping. Dinner in restaurants and drinks in bars can be quite expensive compared to other cities. If you decide to go home Aberdeen can be very expensive to get to. The bus is the cheapest option. If you budget well then your expenses will not be too excessive.

The nightlife in Aberdeen is varied. There are a few nice pubs and bars which you can go to, all within easy walking distance. There is a good variety of nightclubs. but I think these may be better during term time when students are in Aberdeen. The main downside I found was that there were few beer gardens or places to eat or drink outside when it was sunny.

If you make contacts within different teams then there will be more opportunities for activities. If you don't know many people then there may be very few opportunities. After work, there are yoga classes, a personal trainer and table tennis. These are good things to get involved in and to meet new people. The charity challenge allowed the other interns and I to fundraise one weekend together, which was good to get involved in.