Instrument and Protective Systems Engineering Review

I enjoyed my internship very much. There was almost never a dull day at the office. Various factor contributed to this mainly the atmosphere of the office, the team's welcoming spirit, friendly staff and colleagues, onsite learning opportunities and great communication with the Grad HR team (frequent Skype calls and check in's).

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues and generally everyone in the office. I was treated like a normal employee and was given the same benefits. I was frequently invited to sit in on meetings and was allowed to freely speak up. I was often encouraged to take part in discussions and my opinion was always taken into account.

My supervisor was seated close by me. I was encouraged to approach him and any members of the team as well as other staff whenever I needed help with anything. Often times, I encounter people who are willing to sit down and take me through things step by step. I was assured that any question I were to ask was never a dumb question and I should always clear my doubts.

In the beginning, I was not as busy however there was a steep learning curve to the job itself. Hence, it involved a lot of reading and researching before I got on to the actual job. 3 weeks in and that is when the actual work kicked in. I was given a fair amount of work to do over the internship however my supervisor made sure I took more out of it than I expected to. I was also given the freedom to roam around and learn from others rather than sitting on my desk all day long.

Initially I felt that my work was almost routine and had no significant impact on the business. Upon consulting my manager, I found out that the work I was involved in had a much bigger impact than I first expected. The work I was doing was initially my supervisor's and so that reflects on the amount of responsibility and accountability I was held up to. No other internship I have done had put me at this stage.

I now have a clear perspective on what I want to do and where I'd like to explore more. The courses in university go very in detailed about design and mathematics. During my internship, I focused more on problem solving and the basics that I had learnt were merely tools assisting me in solving problems. Having taken part in industrial grade activities, I am now more confident when it comes up to tackling problems at university level.

The general atmosphere was generally relaxed but productive. Employees are given the freedom to work within a range of hours but this is largely dependent on workload and the team. Everyone in the office is welcoming and helpful. I was never turned down by anyone when approaching them for help.

The internship was very well structured from the point of application to interviews and assessment centers through to the actual internship. I was well informed of what to expect next and duration. There was almost no one time that I was left clueless. In the beginning of the internship, we were tasked to discuss and establish objectives with our supervisors. The supervisors and line managers themselves were well informed and knew well about the structure of the internship as they had regular sessions with the grad HR team as well.

I constantly received advice and on the job training by my supervisor and the rest of the staff in the team. There were weekly Lunch and Learn sessions which are talks by various people in the office from different departments allowing us to gain a wholesome picture of the business itself. A few supervisors had also arranged onsite visits to allow us to gain a feel of the job beyond the desk. We were also given the opportunity to go through several e-learning modules covering a wide range of topics.

The company is constantly in search for young talent and the internship is a good way to land a graduate job. At the end of the internship, the interns are reviewed and supervisors/managers as well as other key individuals would give their recommendations to HR. Depending on availability as well as the recommendation, an offer will be given a few weeks post internship.

The company (graduates) had initially organized a welcome party for everyone to get to know each other. This was down at a local bar with several grads as well as all the interns just socializing and mixing around. Among the interns, we had many committees and one of the committees was socials. They did a really good job at organizing dinners and games as well as charity events.

Situated in Aberdeen, cost of living was a little higher than expected being the "Oil and Gas Capital of Europe" however we were well compensated with our internship allowance. Food and drink were manageable however transport was a little difficult compared to other major cities.

Nightlife in Aberdeen is really good. A good mix of pubs and clubs in the city.

There were a few opportunities to get involved outside of work. Interns with the help of HR had organized a charity event for the local disabled kids and we were also involved in sports activities with other interns from surrounding companies