Intern Review

My enjoyment varied a lot from day to day depending on the tasks I received. When I was given work and projects to complete, I enjoyed applying myself and the work was okay (not incredibly mentally stimulating but not bad). However I found a lot of my time was spent without a task, which became very difficult for me. This could last anywhere from a few hours of boredom to a few days of asking team members for any small job.

Again this was variable. When working with colleagues on fixed projects I felt very valued - my work was presented to very senior team members and was taken seriously as a contribution to the team's work. However the lack of work presented to me meant that, overall, I didn't feel like I was particularly valuable, or that the role was one which needed filling; it was more a role which had been created for me and thus I wasn't specifically needed by the team.

The support was brilliant - I was fortunate to have a very good manager who gave me feedback and communication as much as he could. This involved weekly meetings, constant emails and the appointing of two mentors for two separate projects I was assigned too. The lack of work was disappointing however my manager did his best to occupy me as much as he could and acted as best he could to find me roles.

A lot of the time I had very little to do. When given projects I went through phases of having a really good focus, with a mixture of individual tasks, meetings with other departments and use of a range of different computer programmes. However in between these I found myself waiting for the necessary colleague to become available for me to progress further, this could take many days.

I was given sole responsibility of a couple of different projects, for which I was completely responsible for arranging meetings with colleagues in other departments, some of who were quite senior. The work I completed was very relevant to the projects and work carried out by the team as a whole.

I learned a lot about the sustainability sector at JLR, which has no doubt contributed to my understanding and general knowledge of electrified vehicles and their future potential. This has been very useful. In terms of skills, I was using very basic software such as microsoft office and thus didn't develop my skill base.

The offices are open plan with mixed departments however the team were quite spread out between different tables and therefore I didnt feel like there was much atmosphere. A lot of people seemed subdued/bored and so it was quite quiet. However the atmosphere between the team during meetings was really good

As mentioned, more needs to be done to ensure interns have a reasonable amount of work to last the entire 3 months so that they're not left bored. I was fortunate to have a very organised manager who contacted me before I started to organise an appropriate project for me.

I received no paticular training or development during my internship which was a shame. I believe this to be available to graduates but not to interns. This could be something which is improved in future and would have been a good way to occupy my time when I had no work.

I have not accepted a job with JLR, however their employment offer was appealing to many in terms of the company's potential within the sector I was working in (electrification, sustainability) and the job offer/pay. However I didn't feel the overall work environment was ambitious/engaging enough to make me want to accept a position.

The intern social scene was fantastic as most live together in accommodation in Coventry. This meant a social hub was created with regular social events throughout the summer, from weekly 5-a-side footaball to pub nights to organised tours and events within worktime to further our knowledge of the company. This was a highlight of the placement for me

Coventry is not blessed with may perks however the low prices is definitely one. Accommodation was very cheap and a good quality and events/socialising in the area was inexpensive with a decent choice of entertainment. You can easily take a train to Birmingham at the weekends to escape Coventry city life.

There is a single club that I'm aware of in Coventry which is infamous/famous depending on your perspective. It was within walking distance of the JLR accommodation and provided many nights of happiness amongst the interns. It would be recommended to have a few drinks before arriving, and expect expert face painting inside.

As mentioned, the social life between the interns was superb thanks to JLR linking us with the joint accommodation in Coventry. Making the most of this by arranging/engaging in activities is really advised and also helps with networking within the company from learning what other interns are doing. Within work, I saw no opportunities.