Electronics Engineer Review

I enjoyed quite a lot of stuff, it has been very good to learn about the different sections at MBDA and has increased my industry knowledge massively in just 3 months. I would not have got this experience at university and I would highly recommend this company to everyone looking for a placement.

I felt very welcomed by the MBDA employees and I also felt my placement peers were easy to work with, it was quick to make friends. The managers made sure there was work to be done and they also always answered any questions I might have had to the best of their ability.

Initially I felt we were dropped in the deep end and I was struggling for the first week while adjusted to the new way of working. However, when I had an issue I could ask someone and they would try and help/explain the best they could. I eventually managed to settle in when things became clearer.

The workload was considerably variable over the duration of the placement but there was always something to do. At the start of the placement, I felt that there were very tight deadlines and it was difficult to keep to them, and towards the middle of the placement the workload was light due to waiting for things E>G parts. The end of the placement was quite busy again testing and preparing a presentation.

I was responsible for my designs and my work day. Summer Placements are given the same Flexi Time scheme as regular employees so it was up to me to make sure that I work the correct hours and come in on time. In regards to my designs it was important that I ensured my work functioned as it should.

I learnt many skills while on this placement which I would never have learnt at university. These skills will help me very much in the future. Some examples of the skills I worked on were: Communications, leadership, delegation, working alone and as a team and researching skills. I also learnt Electronics Design skills that I would never have learnt at university.

The general atmosphere in the office was pleasant. The office was open plan and well spaced out, and did not feel claustrophobic. All the different departments were easy to find and willing to help, and also were very friendly. Members of different departments put on presentations to show what they do.

The work placement was set up reasonably well, however I feel more could have been done to make things flow smoothly. The initial specification sheet was at times quite vague and it was unclear what should be done, and a lot of time was wasted by large proportions of the specification changing often, however sometimes this is unavoidable.

The company invested a lot of time and money into giving us personal training and development. The company set up training days for us so we could learn to use software for design we never used at university, and also the company took us on several business trips to learn about manufacturing processes.

There are good employment prospects at this company. There are many departments available so if they company is hiring, there are a large range of possibilities for a career. The size of the company also makes it easier to progress to more senior levels, which makes it a good option for fast career evolvement.

I lived too far away to join other colleagues however I am aware that some of my colleagues went out after work and stuff. I played online games with one of my colleagues as well, so I would say that there is plenty of scope for a good social scene.

Being near London, the prices can be quite high in places however there is fairly cheap housing available in places. I stayed in Luton to try and avoid higher costs however that was probably my biggest regret about this placement. It also worth noting the roads can be quite busy so do not live too far away if you choose to come here.

I didn't really visit the place I worked that often due to living relatively far away however I am aware there is a night club and a reasonable selection of bars and restaurants. There is also a leisure park so there is a decent amount of things to do, as well as the Stevenage shopping centre being within walking distance.

Not really, but if there were it would have been difficult due to living far.