Undergraduate Engineer Review

Enjoyed it extremely. Got a good overview of the industry and company as the projects I was assigned in had a good balance between both technical and soft skills ( project management specifically). Even got a chance to get a quick tour of the manufacturing site and did some test drives on the tracks and outside the site which was interesting. I had a lot of control over my placement, everything I requested got through as long as I had a reasonable justification for it. People were very welcoming and helpful too. There was a glitch in the IT stuff in my first week here but other than that, placement has been amazing.

A big reason to why I enjoyed my time here was definitely my colleagues. The team was extremely welcoming and helpful not just to the extent of work related stuff but also things outside of work. Since I am not a local and not from the UK, they took time to explain must do's, show me around the area, good places to eat, spend my weekends at etc. We also have a weekly meeting with the team where we catch up, something I very much look forward to every week.

Initially was quite scared as not only does my manager only work part time but my mentor was not in the same site I was based in and my grad buddy was not in the same programme I was in. However, the amount of support I received exceeded my expectations as everyone else in the team were constantly offering help and making sure I was occupied and was not lost. Despite my lack of technical knowledge, still felt confident doing my day to day work as everyone was very supportive and explained everything thoroughly.

On average I would have a relatively busy day. I was not only assigned to one project, I also had to coordinate weekly meetings (routine work) and involved in some side projects which I had to juggle throughout my 3 months with JLR. However, this was mainly due to my own effort asking for work and being proactive when I didnt have much to do. I do know other interns who didnt have much to do, so my suggestion would be to not be scared/shy to ask as there will always be something for you to do whether it is in your home department or elsewhere. As long as you ask, they will be able to allocate work for you.

I had 5 major projects which I had to look through almost from beginning to end. Something i felt was quite a big responsibility given my position as an undergraduate. But one thing is for sure, they treat you like you are a hired employee, they dont undermine you (at least my team didnt, have not heard otherwise from other interns too). Gave you feeling of your work being highly appreciated and makes you feel like your time at the company has been worthwhile.

Since I am doing as course that has nothing to do with this industry, technically I wouldnt say it has helped much. However, I believe it has improved my soft skills tremendously. Given the nature of the work I did in my department, there was a lot of project management required and my communication skills improved quite a bit as well. Since english is not my 1st language, attending meetings & discussions allowed me to improve this skill tremendously. I also got to do a bit of coding and was introduced to new softwares which I plan to explore further once I go back to uni.

Varied quite a bit. Most days it would be very hectic given the pace of the work we would do. Some days were the opposite especially when people are in other sites ( to monitor production site etc.) People are mostly quite welcoming and talkative so it doesnt get boring easily. Birthdays/promotions are celebrated with cakes & food so we get quite a lot of free food from time to time which is always nice. We have a hot seat structure as well, so you dont always sit in the same place, getting to know new people each time gets easier this way.

This was the first year them centralising the interns thus there was a couple of glitches at the beginning of the placement which wasnt ideal. Had a lot of problems accessing IT stuff and didnt receive my access card only after a week of me being with the company. Definitely not the start I was expecting. However, my manager did try her best to help out, and she made sure everything was settled as quickly as possible. Once that was solved couldn't really find any other faults. I did however hear that a few interns were accidentally excluded from the mailing list, thus they missed out on some of the events that was going on which was a shame.

I was allowed to attend the training available, although I personally didnt go to any, due to my hectic schedule, I did know of other interns who joined several training which they found really useful. They also offer up to £200 for their employees to get themselves involved in activities outside of work i.e horse riding, rock climbing, knitting, painting classes etc. However, this wasnt offered to us 3 month interns, only offered to those who are in the company permenantly.

Quite appealing. In terms of employee welfare and diversity of work, I would be more than happy to come back and join JL|R permenantly.

Interns would have lunch together everyday and several activities are organised for us to get together from time to time. Otherwise, most interns are allocated in different departments. I was the only intern in my whole programme which was quite intimidating at first. Some interns (especially those living in liberty point and leamington spa) also go out for drinks over the weekends. There was also a graduate ball that undergrads were invited too.

Im based in london, thus I find the living cost significantly cheaper and more affordable. However, given said that, unless you have a car, there is not much you could do around this area. Places are quite far apart and public transport is not the most efficient. Would recommend living with other interns/ get a car to be able to join the weekend outings / hang out with friends after working hours. Other than that, its a very quite area to live in. Nothing exciting happens often.

I dont drink/ go out that much so wouldnt know, but other interns do go out every fortnight, there are local pubs/bars that they go to regularly mianly in leam and coventry area.

Quite a few. The company's people portal does give some recommendations on outside activities we could get involved in and the top companies we should approach / JLR subsidises.