Electronic Control & Instrumentation Engineer Review

The working environment within my team was very friendly, which allowed my to feel comfortable from the first week to really get involved during the short period that I was there. The work I completed was on a live project and therefore varied on a daily basis, which maintained my interest at work. I was exposed to many different activities, in and out of work, which was refreshing and made the experience more enjoyable.

I had a good professional and social relationship with my manager. We spent a lot of time together outside of work which helped validate my decisions and actions within the workplace. The rest of the team also went out their way to provide me with knowledge and experience, despite their busy schedules.

My manager was hugely dedicated to my own personal development by giving me the freedom to pursue any ventures that I deemed beneficial to gaining experience. He also gave me very detailed feedback on any work that I delivered, both positive and negative, which ensured that I was working to a high standard.

I wasn't too busy at the start of my placement in particular, although I feel this is to be expected for the role I was in. Being involved in a live project meant that any issues need to be resolved quickly and to the required standard - both of which take time to understand for the particular project/business function.

Similar to the previous question, responsibility can only be given once an understanding of the project and the business has been developed. For an internship in particular, there is a limited time to develop this understanding. At first, most of my tasks were merely research, however I did grow into the role and was afforded more opportunities over time.

The organisational skills in particular are the most transferrable to my degree studies, such as the use of a calendar, email communication, assigning tasks priorities etc. Being in a corporate environment has enhanced my working attitude through these skills. I also received training on presenting and on excel - both of which are directly applicable to my work during my degree.

The office atmosphere was generally quiet since the people in the team were often away on project sites. The office was never full, however this did allow more personal relationships to form with those that were around. On site however, the atmosphere was very different. People were coming and going non stop as construction was well underway.

The organisation of the placement was mixed. Before arriving, I only found out my location a few weeks prior to my first day. I also had limited information on the sort of role that I would be fulfilling. However once I had started, everything ran smoother and all my equipment was set up for me very quickly with few problems. The events put on by the development team were also well organised with plenty of notice and provisions for absence.

The employment prospects are made very clear, with the opportunity of a graduate scheme offer available at the end of the placement if it is deserved. The company perform limited recruitment for these graduate positions outside of the summer placement therefore it is a great advantage to secure the placement position.

The social life between the other interns was great. This was because we were all put up in accommodation in the same block so we were all together for the entire placement. Lots of activities were organised between us in the evenings which made the placement enjoyable outside of work.

The nightlife was limited where I was staying and working in the head offices. However the company also has offices in other locations so I believe this was specific to my location in particular. On the project sites however the nightlife was almost non existent, since it was a power plant which was built away from most civilisation.