Student Intern Review

It was very interesting for me to see how a large company like Arup operates on a day to day basis. This was one of the main reasons why I took on this internship as all previous work experience I have was within much smaller companies. In this capacity it was very helpful.

I felt that I was really beneficial to those I was working with. I was able to help them complete tasks more time efficiently and complete tasks that had been outstanding for some time. Other staff were keen to help me work with them on their jobs and give me an insight into how they work.

I received a lot of guidance during my time at Arup. The senior staff members where able to help me find jobs, help with issues or queries and provide advise. I had a similar level of support from the admin staff. Overall I had very few issues in this respect

The experience was very helpful in practising essential software skills required not only in my PG degree but also for the future workplace (e.g.: advanced Excel commands, ArcMap, modelling software use). The teamwork and communication skills exercised during my internship will of course also be invaluable for any future endeavours.

The insight was good in that they had all the necessary essentials ready for me to start work immediately (e.g.: desk space, laptop) and where able to provide support and guidance when needed. However I felt that there was little in the way of prepared tasks for me, instead having to source jobs as I went from other staff members.

The office was very pleasant to work in - probably the nicest work atmosphere that I have experienced in all the internships I have taken part in. Staff were friendly and tried hard to make the office environment an inviting and enjoyable place to be with various small organised group events before, during and after the working day.

The company provided many opportunities to practice essential software skills which I found very helpful. They also were able to expose me to the critical elements of team work, such as team meetings and how to get the most out of these sometimes frustrating activities. In terms of workplace training (e.g.: health and safety, productivity) this aspect was well catered for.

The internship was very helpful in this respect. Importantly for me I was able to see this aspect very clearly, indeed a key reason why I wanted to undertake this internship in the first place. I was also able to see how senior staff spent their time allowing me to see how roles change with seniority.

During my time there I was able to get a really good insight into this aspect. My experience matched what I had heard prior to me time with Arup and was very encouraging for me when considering Arup for employment following graduation. It would have been good to stay a little longer to get a full breadth of the culture at the company.

While I have already largely decided on what path my career will take, this experience was helpful in that it provided some other options as well to consider. This was an intended outcome of the internship as I sought experience in the growing field of air quality as opposed to my specialised field of groundwater and remediation.

(I can only comment on the experiences I had with meeting other employees, as I didn't part take in any networking activities) During my time there I met a broad range of employees in a range of fields. This was very helpful especially from the relatively new employees who had graduated from the same/similar course as mine.

I was told about some of the activities and events - most of the events were advertised on noticeboards which was helpful

I would recommend this placement to someone who wanted to get a good insight into how a large company like Arup operates on a day to day basis.