Assisstant Construction Engineer Review

Thoroughly enjoyed the work. Was an excellent learning opportunity with the team I worked within always happen to answer any questions. Also venturing outside the office environment and visiting sites was encouraged as a way to further aid my learning and see the practical applications of what I was looking at.

The colleagues are fantastic. The team was always ready and eager to teach and although I was given a line manager the team all ended up taking a managerial role with aiding me so I had multiple people to turn to instead rather than one. They are all also patient when asked questions and give detailed answers in a manner in which i can understand when referring to their work.

I had constant contact with my manager and the team as a whole. Within the first week we had organized weekly meetings to keep track of my progress and a plan of action was set in place so I knew what targets I should be hitting with each week and if I ever felt I was falling behind help would always be on hand.

I was kept busy throughout the placement but the work I was given was exciting so the days flew by. Unfortunately this did mean that occasionally I would stay a bit later or cut lunch a bit short in order to complete the task at hand. Even when cutting lunch short or staying late the team was always around to make sure I wasn't overburdened.

I was given more responsibility on a previous placement but as this was only 10 weeks long there wasn't enough time to fully dig into project and take the reins. However what I was doing has the potential to be continued and through that become a useful document used throughout the company.

The skills developed and knowledge gained will be vital towards my next year of studying as it has given me a leg up when concerning geotechnical engineering and there are parts within my dissertation next year where I'll be able to directly draw upon the knowledge I've gained over the past 10 weeks.

At times it was quiet but that is needed when trying to read and digest information on geotechnical engineering. However almost everyone is always eager to have a conversation about some topic or another. as well as this across departmental conversation can lead to some interesting insights into how other departments operate.

The work placement was very well organized with a plan for the whole 10 weeks set up within the first couple days of the placement. Within these ten weeks there was also enough time for me to set up my own site visits without it having any poor impacts on the whole placement plan.

I was given a new software to learn which greatly aided in my learning about geotechnical engineering and basement construction. Additionally the team also gave me their own personal copies of technical guidance's to further aid the learning process and would take time out of their own working schedule to ensure that I was understanding what I was learning.

From the previous placement year I did with the company I have been offered a job already as long as I achieve a 2:1 in my final year at university. This summer placement was to further secure my position within the grad scheme and a chance to show what I've learnt during my previous year at university.

The social scene among the placement students wasn't as big as my previous time at the company but that may be due to only being here for 10 weeks as opposed to a year. However the team and neighboring departments are all very social and events were set up on a regular basis, especially around payday.

The cost is to be expected when working within London but after working in the location for a little while I learnt of the cheaper outlets and would frequent them instead of the more pricier establishments. Fortunately the company is well paying so it does help cover the additional cost of living and working within London.

There are a good number of bars around the area which are open until late as well as a lot of pubs.

There were opportunities to partake in volunteering days and join local gyms in the immediate area.