R&D Placement Student Review

For the first half of my 12 month placement i was in a team where there seemed to have been no plan for work to give to a placement student. I repeatedly asked for work but only every received 'odd jobs' like fetch this. During these months i felt undervalued and do not feel it added any real experience to myself as i have already had experience in the workplace including engineering roles before. My role in that team was not filled after i left either. My second and last rotation was much more enjoyable comparatively, however it was not a area of work in which i was interested. the role had been negatively reviewed by most previous placements for being dull as it involved managing FMEA's and was given to me by default. I pushed the role requirements to ensure i found some work i did enjoy in the role, but i still had to continue with FMEA work although this did allow me to develop my knowledge through interacting with a great deal of experienced engineers.

During my first rotation of 12 months i felt of very little value, purely doing admin work such as recording oil sample data of which seemed to have little importance at the time. I did manage to get involved in a chunk of work analyzing test to test variability however this was not until the last month of me working in this team. In my second rotation i felt more valued however my main role was to facilitate the quality and general upkeep of FMEA documents, something of which most people deemed as a low priority. To perform this i held a number of meetings throughout the week with FMEA owners however often people would decline these to do other work or just not show up. The work i did with regards to performing validation planning in this team was good though, and here i felt i really did add value as i was given responsibility to prepare and plan testing.

During my first placement i had little interaction with my team manager and was assigned a supervisor, however he was extremely busy most of the time and unfortunately had little time to give me although when he did, the guidance was very useful and i learnt a great deal about engines and engineering in general from him. I often asked colleagues around the team for work and support but without clear direction from a manger it was difficult to get stuck in. In my second team my team leader was extremely supportive and provided me with many opportunities to get involved in work besides FMEA documents. However unfortunately when i joined the role, the supervisor i had to train me about FMEA's left the team two weeks in, so i did most of the developing and understanding of the processes and documentation myself although this was good for my personal development.

I have given this a 5 out of 10 rating as my first 6 months i felt were a waste of my time. I already had experience of working in a full time scientific / engineering job and the processes and ways of work were not new to me. Most of this time i studied engine architecture and operations myself and had colleagues explain principles to me. I suggested that i move team but it was hinted that the work would pick up after a month or so and this was true to the extent that i did feel i added some value for the last month in this team. During my second placement i was extremely busy most of the time. FMEA's continuously require work, and i took on as much other work as i could to help give myself a more diverse experience.

The amount of responsibility given depended on how much i was willing to take. I enjoy having responsibility therefore i took it. For all of the work i did throughout the 12 month placement i felt i had almost complete responsibility over. For example i communicated with suppliers and negotiated for parts for testing all on my own accord with some guidance from my colleagues. I was also given full responsibility for running an engine (when in my first rotation) and analyzing the results and presenting the outcomes.

I feel i have developed a range of problem solving skills through my time on placement that i can apply to future work and studies, and have developed my interpersonal skills greatly through regular meetings i lead. i have received training in 6 sigma techniques and training about engine systems which have really opened my eyes to the complexities and technical requirements required even for the most mundane of components. i think this will allow me to have a more open mind and has increased my awareness of technical standards which will really help within my degree and future work.

the atmosphere in both my offices i have worked in has been very laid back and often i am left to my own devices. People are happy and willing to help you learn and develop all the time. There is quite a good culture for going out and doing things outside of work also.

For myself, the first half of my placement was not organised at all. There was no plan for work for which i was going to be given. For the second placement, again, although the role was defined, my supervisor left the team and i was left without having any proper training. other than this, the placement manager did a great job of managing the placements and ensured we had regular reviews with him.

The company really did allow me to attend any course that was available or any training event. A group called the Young Professionals occasionally organised trips or visits to other manufacturing sites or events where we could further develop our knowledge. This was all paid for by the company. There were numerous training or learning courses going on throughout the month set up.

The company and culture are extremely good. I get the feeling they care and invest strongly in their staff. I would happily come back on the Grad scheme or as a normal employee however i would probably look for options elsewhere first. This is because i want to have experience in other companies and other sectors of engineering. Diesel engines are being phased out more and more, making me question job security in this industry. Although i dont see it going anywhere anytime soon, long term i imagine the research and development will be cut down.

Because there was a large group of placements here at CAT, the social scene among the placements was good. We often had activities outside of work, and many of us lived together which made working here a good transition from university living to working. Although saying this, all of the placements in my year did not usually interact with grads or placements from other years outside of work.

Coming from York, quite and expensive city, the cost of living in Peterborough was not that high. The cost of accommodation where i lived was considerably high at £525 pcm including bills. The town is full of small pubs and weatherspoons so can be a cheap night out if you want.

The town has one major club and many bars and pubs. Its a bit limited on restaurants.

There are various sports clubs including squash, basketball and football both with work colleagues and outside of work.