Mechanical Engineer Review

I really enjoyed my Summer placement at Centrica. I was given the opportunity to spend a lot of time both on-site and in the offices, providing a well-rounded experience. I was also undertaking the placement along with 4 other interns, so it was enjoyable living with them in shared accommodation. I was also given the opportunity to work on real-life projects which were a combination of individual and group projects, providing insight into the industry and applying my existing skills.

Throughout the placement I was working on and contributing to real-life projects with actual responsibility. I was made to feel appreciated by my colleagues through an internal recognition system, and was also included in important meetings between senior leaders within the company. My manager and colleagues working on my team were extremely friendly and routinely offered to get involved or learn about various projects I was working on.

Throughout the placement the graduate talent team sent me regular emails and phone calls, checking on my progress and also offering advice whenever I needed it. As well as this, my manager was also very supportive and set up weekly one-to-one meetings to discuss my progress as well as any issues I had.

Throughout the placement I was kept moderately busy. When visiting sites it was difficult to become too involved due to health and safety regulations as I often lacked the necessary training and so it was often just observing. In the office I was kept fairly busy with a large individual project and a group project, however I could have been assigned more tasks.

The large project that I was working on throughout my placement was using a relatively new software which the company had not used before. The project was useful in that it saved the company time and money in comparison to the old methods used, and so my work had a real impact.

The training and information I received will be extremely beneficial to me and my future career. Undertaking the placement in the oil and gas industry has provided me with a clear plan for my future, and allowed me to develop a series of skills which I can use to impress future employers and excel in my last year at university.

The office had a good balance of being serious but also quite relaxed. The staff were all extremely friendly and welcoming and it did not take long to settle in. There was never any conflict between staff members. Birthdays were also regularly celebrated as well as charity events. The offices were also very clean and nice to work in, with good facilities and facilities management.

The work placement was extremely well organised. All event dates and times were organised prior to recruitment, and when I was required to travel anywhere my transport and accommodation were quickly organised. In terms of my projects and objectives, these were also well organised. Weekly meetings were held with my manager to set tasks and deadlines.

The company invested massively in me. The company ran various development days which included transport and accommodation. The development days involved improving my team working and communication skills, as well as a presentation training day. The company also sponsored me to complete a training course on a power plant which involved a large amount of practical work.

Future employment prospects are extremely appealing. The company looks after its staff, ensuring that they are receiving the correct training and support, and that they are also adding value to the company. The work is interesting and important to a range of people, working in a cutting edge industry. The opportunity to travel is also given.

The social scene amongst me and my colleagues was really good. The company organised for us all to live in a shared flat which was in a nice location, in the city centre. This meant that outside of work it was really easy to socialise which is important when living in a new place at a new job.

Living and socialising in Hull was very cheap. The company actually paid for all of our rent over the course of the placement. The local eating and drinking establishments were really cheap, as were the many events and tourist attractions throughout the city. Overall, it was really cheap to live in Hull for the ten weeks.

The nightlife around our accommodation was very good. The company paid for us all to live in a flat in the city centre, which was within a short walking distance of a variety of pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs. It was extremely easy for us to spend a night out on the weekend and there was a lot of choice.

Unfortunately, there were not many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of the work. The only sports club was a running club which occurred during work lunch hour, not outside of work.