Undergrad Electrical Engineer Review

Overall my placement has been a positive experience; I have learnt a lot about the company, it's structure and the work they do, as well as improving my own knowledge of my subject, both the the theory and it's applications. The people are very enthusiastic and want you to enjoy our time here, learning as much as you can. The only downside to my time here was my project, I felt like it could have been more engineering based and kept me busier. However, I understand that the team I joined were in a transitional period and they themselves weren't doing too much engineering, they did their best for me in the circumstances.

Everybody I worked with throughout the placement wanted to ensure I was enjoying my time with the company and were eager to help with any questions I had. Everyone was happy for me to shadow them and help me learn as much as I could.

There is a wide rage of support available for you at JLR. At first you will meet your line manager, they will have regular meetings to make sure you are really benefiting from your placement; for example, my line manager arranged opportunities for me to work with other teams and gain an insight into other areas of the business. You are also assigned a buddy within your team; they will help with day to day tasks, offering support on your project and can help with any questions you have about your role, your team or any wider business queries. They help you to settle in and get comfortable at the company. A mentor system is put in place early in your placement; your mentor is usually a grad or someone fresh off the grad scheme that isn't in your team. This means you have someone to discuss things with that you may not feel comfortable talking to your team about, they offer guidance and are another point of contact for any questions or advice. Being from a separate team they can also offer an insight into another area of the business which you may want to explore in the future. Whilst on your placement all undergrads are included in the grad forum, they put on talks and tours around a variety of areas, these give you an opportunity to ask any questions about the grad scheme or the support to be come a chartered engineer for example.

There were often days that there wasn't much for me to do. The nature of my project meant often I was waiting on other people and it wasn't something I could come in and crack on with. There were opportunities to work with other people and support their work however overall I felt like my project could have more meat to it.

My project wasn't something that was a case of working on it myself and providing a finished article at the end. I was fully integrated into the team and was contributing directly to what they were doing, working alongside them meant they were constantly up to date with what I was doing. Although there wasn't much independence in my project, I was trusted to do meaningful work with my team.

I had a lot of time to do background reading whilst on my placement, I studied new things to supplement my course and went into greater detail on my course material. Going beyond what I have already learnt and seeing the applications of my degree will help me in future years, especially when completing my final year project. I was taught how to use new software whilst on my placement, although most of this was specialised and unlikely to be used on my course, it required the use of more common software which gave me an opportunity to build on my knowledge in those areas. During my placement all interns had access to the wide variety of courses JLR put on for their staff, these come in the forms of online classes or physical lessons and cover a wide variety of topics, applicable to both your job role and your degree.

The office is very relaxed and supportive; it is a large open plan office filled with various teams, this means it is easy to find people if you need something from a different team.

Lots of events were put on for the undergrads, the first week is made up of inductions which ease you in and once you have started work there are plenty of tours and talks organised throughout the scheme. JLR have a very good grad scheme and their representatives help to make sure you get a good insight into the business.

JLR have an internal booking system for courses which is available to you as soon as you join. There is a wide range available, both online courses and physical classes, covering all areas of the business. For example there are technical courses on coding or soft skills, health and safety courses and product information courses.

JLR offer sponsorship schemes with a bursary payment available if you return to the company. This shows they are committed to bringing undergrads into their business after graduation, they offer lots of support through the placement process and leave you well informed about the options available to you. They invite most interns back for future placements or the grad scheme and support you when pursuing a masters with the company or professional qualifications. The placement has made me feel very positive about future prospects here.

JLR recommend student accommodation to stay in at a discounted rate where most interns stay. This means you'll be in a flat of 6 interns in a complex with around 100 leading to a great social life. It is in Coventry city centre so you plenty for you to do and living with other interns helps at work as well, making the whole summer more relaxed and enjoyable.

The recommended accommodation is £90 a week and includes bedding, kitchen equipment and a cleaning service, this is a discounted rate for JLR interns. It is fairly standard living costs, the bars and clubs are quite cheap but otherwise it isn't noticeable either way.

Every Friday interns would head to Kasbah, just a short walk from where most interns stay, it's always a great night and not too expensive

There is a gym over the road from where the interns stay which has plenty of equipment and is quite cheap. A leisure centre in the city centre (10 min walk max) also has a gym and includes a swimming pool. Every week those who want to head to local 5 a side pitches and play a mini football tournament. You will never be bored if you don't want to be, the city isn't massive but has everything you could want or need.