Quality Engineer (Summer Placement) Review

My Summer internship has been engaging throughout as I have been working on a project which has lasted the full duration. I have had to host and attend many meetings, as well as perform a presentation for 50+ people. I have gained valuable experience from this placement and feel as though I have gained a full insight into the quality department at Siemens.

I feel reasonably valued by my colleagues and manager alike. I feel this is because of the small group of colleagues I worked with and having open communication with my manager. I also feel as though the project I have worked on is valued by the people who benefit from it, having received good feedback on the current progress made.

I have been able to contact my manager whenever needed during my placement who provided in depth support and contacts. Regular debriefing sessions were held to ensure progress was made week on week. I feel as though I have fantastic support as opposed to previous years and have had the ability to be much more independent.

Initially, it was decided to split my placement into two by working under two managers side by side. This caused exceedingly high workloads and was impossible to keep on top of. It was then agreed for me to work on a project under one manager. The project I was tasked with was very large and a lot of prior insight would have helped.

I believe I was given a lot of responsibility as I was allowed to work independently and not micromanaged. This gave me the ability to develop myself and gain or improve many key skills required within the workplace. I have taken the lead role on the project I have been working on so it was important that I had a lot of responsibility handed to me.

The skills I have developed this Summer will definitely help me once I have graduated. I feel this is because of the skills required within the workplace which I have developed. This has made me much more confident and I will now be able to back my theoretical knowledge up with practical, workplace experience.

Atmosphere in the office was enjoyable on a day to day basis, however, the office environment was very old fashioned. I believe I feel this way as I worked in a customer facing department the previous Summer which was very modern. The office facilities were well maintained and the upkeep from housekeeping was clear and obvious.

The placement was well organized with a clear project goal set at the beginning. The placement was structured well, with set goals for completing the targets set. A beginning, middle and end structure was applied to ensure engagement throughout my 12 week placement. From my experience in this placement, there was a clear business need and use of my time.

I did not receive much in terms of training apart from the usual training which all new starter must undertake. There was the possibility of me attending an external course, however, this did not occur due to the company not following through on actions. I would have liked to be placed on a course to develop a greater understanding of my placement.

I have to apply for the graduate scheme in this coming January where I hope my placements will give me the edge over other candidates. The organisation is well structured with many different routes to take regarding career progression. I would highly pursue a further career within this organisation since I have worked with them for the previous three Summers.

Social scene was nice as I worked closely with two other Summer interns. Since most of the placements came from the same university, the bond was already present and it was almost like working with friends. This was great as any social barriers had already been eliminated and work could be undertaken immediately.

Lincoln is a reasonably cheap area for both house/flat rental prices and also for eating in and out. There are many local bars which offer cheap eats and drink nights boasting good atmospheres. The cost of living is also cheaper than some of the near by towns, however, purchases prices are often higher within the city.

The nightlife is great and with being a student I already knew the places to go for a decent and safe night out! There are many bars and nightclubs which each have a different feel to them, catering for a variety of crowds. Throughout the week prices are very cheap, with an increase in price on a Friday/Saturday night (as expected).

There was only one opportunity which I was made aware outside of work during my Summer within the organization, this was a football evening for a couple of hours with a group of others from the company with similar interests. I did not look into this as I was not interested in partaking so do not know the location or whether a cost was also involved.