Strategic Propulsion Engineering Intern Review

If you enjoy challenges, then this is the place for you, Most of the time you will have to talk to new people and engage in interesting discussions in order to learn and grow. The company has people working round the globe so you never know how your network would expand. During your time there, you might figure out what you want to do when you graduate.

Depending on the side of the business, you will be placed in different offices. In general, your work and input is much appreciated. The colleagues are friendly and eager to help, knowing that you are just starting to learn how things work.

Usually, every intern has a mentor who is responsible for his/her development. There is a lot of learning on the job, but the mentor is there to support you when you most need him/her. Above your mentor there would be a line manager who often makes him/herself available for questions, etc.

Apart from your daily tasks (meetings, customer calls, production meetings etc), you may be asked to pursue some other projects on your own. There is always something to do. Most of the time, you will not even realize when it's time to go home.

You may be asked to contact customers on your own, work on projects with teams based at other sites or support ongoing trials/researches onsite. You are considered a member of the team and expected to act as such.

Coming back to university from placement, you will feel much more prepared for what is ahead. The technical skills and experience developed while at work will definitely help you tackle problems with your final year projects and other projects. Staff at university will have much more confidence in you, seeing that you have become more mature.

The general atmosphere in my office was definitely different than what I was expecting. People were genuinely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Towards the weekend, the general mood was relaxed. With a mini kitchen next to the office, you could always enjoy a coffee or a tea. With 2 to 3 monitors, working always seemed enjoyable.

The company treats the placement program seriously. There are 2 assessments during your year with them to observe your development and compatibility with the company's values and beliefs. Apart from the assessments, all interns are trained online and offline on subjects pertaining to their area of work. HR representatives can always be asked about how the whole program works and what to expect.

Initially, all interns go through a introductory course to learn about engines and how they work. Later on, several days are spent near the engines and on the workshop to visualize the concepts described and see how things move from one side to another on site. There are also online training courses that must be taken. Personally, i was offered more courses throughout my placement to develop my IT skills.

Graduate schemes are well known within GE. Most of the interns will try to secure their place on these schemes. The business invests in these programs and will give you the opportunity to learn much more at a graduate level. There are multiple opportunities for a graduate engineer to land a job in a managerial position from these schemes.

Among interns you will get to know everybody at some point. It's just a matter of time. At the beginning there are a lot of official meetings and parties. Later on, after you have made some friends, there are usually night outs on Fridays after work. During my placement, I have also volunteered to do the "3 peaks" with some of my colleagues.

I was living in Wales. The prices I would say were a lot less than in England. Welsh people tend to be very lively and a great bunch. Cardiff is definitely the place to go for a night out. As most football games and other events are held in Cardiff, that's the place to go with friends or family. Transportation can be a pain if you do not drive.

With Cardiff being just a tad down the road, there is a slim chance not to enjoy nightlife in Wales. Cardiff can be packed at times when there are football games at the stadium. Expect the unexpectable walking on the streets during those. Pubs are really nice on Friday evenings after work.

Most people used to go to the gym after work, Or the pub depending on the day. There are opportunities for you to help the community. During my placement, I was a STEM ambassador so I went to schools to show pupils how rocket science/propulsion works, etc. Also, I volunteered to raise money for children with disabilities by climbing the 3 highest peaks of Wales, Scotland and England: Cadair Idris, Pen-y-fan and Snowdon.