Thermal Engineer Review

The role was very challenging but rewarding, and I was given a very large amount of freedom on the project. I was never micromanaged and always offered help and support should I need it. The work culture and atmosphere was consistently flexible and relaxed, with flexible working hours being a particularly motivating element.

My team and managers were very welcoming from the start and remained warm throughout my placement. The wider Cummins employees, particularly the directors always seemed positive and sociable. I was able to have lunch with the summer interns on a daily basis and go for walks around the business park.

Whenever it was necessary my manager was always on-hand, and both professional and caring. He and others enjoyed talking about the project very much, which made it more worthwhile. He also set reasonable limits for how much work could be achieved, ensuring a good work-life balance and preventing me from overworking.

Business varied from day to day, depending on which stage of the project I was working on. Some days would fly by and others would go more slowly, especially when I faced something new and challenging that I needed to wrap my head around. Meetings and presentations were a very good way of breaking up the day and keeping up motivation.

I was given sole responsibility and autonomy whilst building my own MATLAB model. This meant building a sense of sound engineering judgement. This freedom kept me motivated particularly when presenting my work and receiving positive and constructive feedback. I was later included in more important meetings which again kept me engaged.

The programming skills I developed will no doubt assist me greatly when I return to my Chemical Engineering degree, particularly since Simulink is a very powerful tool used in my degree subject. Additionally, working for Cummins has increased my understanding of heat transfer resistance network modelling, and allowing me to apply my studied to a real life problem.

Very relaxed and flexible, making it difficult days seem much more manageable. There were always people engaging in enjoyable conversations meaning a break from work was always possible. The directors always had their office doors open which maintained a sense of value despite being a summer placement student. Other teams were always very happy to talk about their work, or something unrelated (e.g. sports).

The HR department seemed very well organised and informed. When I faced problems (e.g. losing my only car key and being unable to come to work) they were quick to understand and accommodate. Booking holidays was also not an issue. Upon arrival I was instantly set up with a company laptop, login, and additional technology.

I was trained by both HR and my line manager separately, which made logical sense. Training by HR involved familiarisation with the company on a whole, rules around working, and products sold. Training by my line manager involved familiarisation with the engineering problem and schematic, and an overview of the project I would be working on,

I am uncertain if I would apply for a graduate role at Cummins. This is due to the location being very far from my home. The overall benefits of the role and company, however, may persuade me otherwise. I have heard that graduates have the option of e.g. moving teams to roles they may enjoy more.

Weekly badminton and football was available and I would highly recommend getting involved. They were not too competitive and a welcome break from the work/home cycle. It was a good way to get to know my other colleagues, and something to look forward to at the end of a work shift.

Being from London the cost of living in Peterborough was relatively low. Rent could be as cheap as £300/month and up to £550/month for more lavish rooms. It has various cheap supermarkets (LIDL, ALDI) which allowed me to save money on living costs. I recommend a car to get around Peterborough as I heard the buses were often late/unreliable.

Peterborough has a very cheap spoons and various nightclubs. On the occasion I went out (Saturday) I was surprised how busy and alive the area was, with the central strip reminding me of London on a night out. Taxis were much cheaper and I would definitely recommend going out there

Cummins run lots of community volunteering projects (EEC) and employees are strongly recommended to take part. These offer a paid break from the office and allow one to do something good, for example painting a school building and handing out leaflets in Ferry Meadows (nature reserve). Additional sports activities are also available after work.