Electrical Engineering Intern Review

For my 3 month placement I was part of Electrical PVT (Plant Vehicle Teams) based in Halewood, Liverpool, where they build the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport. Overall my experience was good. The first 2-3 weeks were quite slow in terms of workload and I spent most of the time exploring the different parts of the plant, as well as trying to understand all the processes involved. Thankfully I was given a small project to work on, which lasted the rest of the 2 months. The skills I learnt in this time (especially soft skills) made the whole experience worth while.

One of the best things about my placement was my team. They were very welcoming at the start and were always willing to explain processes and answer any questions to the best of their knowledge. They had great chemistry with each other, with a lot of banter and jokes which made the clinical office atmosphere more homely. Some advice: get to know each individual, have casual conversations and be genuinely interested in their work and what they enjoy in their free time. You will learn so much more and you will have an even better time.

I would say I was quite lucky to have such a nice and encouraging manager (I know sometimes this is not the case). He helped me with anything I needed and spent a lot of time going over what the team does and why. I got the impression that he genuinely wanted me to do well on this placement and in my future career. He often gave me useful soft skill tips on how to deal and communicate with other colleagues effectively. What made it nice was that he would engage in casual conversations about personal stories and interests.

Not at all, is the short answer. Especially in the first 3 weeks, before I got stuck in with my project, I would come in everyday and occupy myself with either doing some self learning or shadowing other team members with their daily jobs. Of course there were occasional briefings and explanations but they didn't fill up my day. However, I wouldn't blame them totally as they were busy launching the new model year and also I should have been more persistent with asking for things to do. Tip: if you find you are bored everyday, talk to your manager/team to check if there's something you can get involved in.

Although I was given a project to work on, which was to resolve a real world problem that occurs at the end of line tests within the plant, the priority of the project was not high with other colleagues. I did feel responsible for driving the project, but there was not much pressure from superiors to complete this task.

Developing my skills was one of the main benefits of this placement. I found that soft skills are key to getting the information you need and will definitely be useful in uni/future when collaborating with others in projects or organising events for my society. In terms of technical skills, I was introduced to a number of different problem solving techniques and processes, as well as improving data analysis using Excel. Again, this will be useful on any engineering course.

I was based in a large office, with many teams in the same vicinity which was useful when gathering data from other teams. The overall atmosphere was casual and everyone seemed to get along well. Although there was a canteen very close to the office, most people ate at their desks.

From my experience, they were extremely late in getting back to me about my interview results and I had to phone them several times. Then after that they were very late in telling me where my placement was going to be based. I think this was down to the company recruiting a record number of interns this year and they misjudged how long it would take to process everyone. Tip: don't be too worried if you they don't get back to you on your interview straight away, just keep calling/emailing them.

There were plenty of online and classroom based courses on a number of different topics, including problem solving, how to use data effectively, electronics, vehicle networks and more. However, the majority of the classroom courses were taught in Gaydon (headquarters) and I was based up north in Liverpool and so it wasn't convenient for me to attend any of them.

Although a career with JLR would undoubtedly be worthwhile, there are plenty of other places/companies that I would like to have a look at.

There were very few undergraduates based in Liverpool and we all worked in different areas of the plant. We would go out weekly for a few drinks, but I know most of the interns are in Gaydon and Whitley where they have better opportunities to socialise. So if you can, go there.

I rented a double room about a mile from the plant and I paid £350 a month (all inclusive). It took me about 25 mins to walk to work everyday which was fine for me as I do the same at uni, but the plant does have bike and shower facilities for those who cycle. Going out in Liverpool city centre isn't too bad price wise.

The plant is based between a quite residential area and an airport. There is NO nightlife.

In relation to the company, there weren't any. I joined a gym very close to where I live which became my main activity outside work.