Vacation Student -Electrical Review

This is the second summer placement I've done at Arup and have enjoyed them both immensely

I felt incredibly valued by my colleagues who would often take the time to sit with me and explain different parts of the work that I did not understand or hadn't done before. They also encouraged me to ask as many questions as I could and every member of the team was willing to answer them, they really made me feel part of the team.

I was given a lot of support by management during the work I was doing but also my manager arranged a meeting about midway through my placement where he gave me feedback from other engineers who I was working with. This allowed me to see the areas which I needed to improve upon while I was still working at Arup.

Some days were busier than others, however even when the office was very empty I was always left with something to be getting on with. I enjoyed going out to some site visits and client meetings as part of the projects during my time here.

I was given quite a bit of responsibility in my placement, I was responsible for preparing for client meetings and ensuring we took everything we needed to them. I was also able to work on the main reports which would be the deliverables for the projects. I was very happy with the amount of responsibility given to me by my team.

The skills developed during my placements at Arup will help immensely, I hope to secure a job at Arup once graduated and having already worked there for 2 summers will really help me hit the ground running in my graduate role. While going back to university for my final year I can use the skills learnt over the summer, especially during my group project this year.

The atmosphere was generally relaxed and open, no matter what level you were at everyone sits together.

My placement was organised very well, I was invited to reapply back to Arup at Christmas time and was quickly sent a contract to sign soon after. On my first day my laptop was ready on my desk and once I had set that up I was introduced to the project I would be working on.

I was encouraged to attend all CPD (continued professional development) sessions.

The future prospects within Arup are very appealing, I am certain I will apply for a graduate role in the office I have completed my work placements in.

There was only one other place my student at the time in my team.

I fortunate to be able to live at home during my placement so I didn't have to pay rent, socialising was very cheap in Leeds, with drinks and food not costing very much. The office was also close to many cafes, shops and bars/restaurants meaning to go out for a team lunch was very easy.

There were many bars and restaurants close by, and the city centre was only 10/15 min walk.

Lots of opportunities to get involved in sports and social events.