Placement Civil Engineer Review

The work I conducted was largely enjoyable and what I envisaged doing as a Civil Engineer- this meant my placement was rewarding and enjoyable. Extracurricular and social activities with my JN Bentley colleagues only made it a more enjoyable place to work.

As a placement student I was really happy to find out the work I conducted was actually useful and valued. I was given increasingly more responsibility over the course of my placement and when I preformed my tasks well, my managers/colleagues would always reflect their appreciation.

For the first couple of months of my placement I did not have a direct manager (due to a retirement) so I lacked guidance and support from above. That being said the personnel I worked with on a daily basis were happy to give me support when needed- I just had to seek it myself. Once I had a pernemnant manager he was superb in supporting me.

Always something to do whatever project I worked on! If I was short of work I could always find something to get on with.

I was progressively given more responsibility over my placement as I proved myself and learned new skills. Towards the end of my placement I was the main site engineer on a large scheme- which shows there is no limit to the responsibility you are given at JN Bentley, even if you are a placement student. You are given the responsibilities your ability merits.

I did a mix of site engineering and structural design so I have improved and reinforced knowledge gained in my first and second years of study. My 3rd year dissertation is based on skills I learnt whilst on the job at JN Bentley- this gives me an edge over a lot of other final year students- I have a base of real-world practical knowledge I wouldn't of otherwise had.

As I was at a mix of building sites it varied but generally it was always good. The design office had a fantastic working atmosphere in particular with plenty of people my age.

I don't think there was a pre-determined plan or structure for my placement so to maximise the learning experience for placement students (and themselves) this is something the company could improve. It just so happened my manager introduced a structure for me, if I hadn't had him my placement may have lacked any structure.

I didn't get put on any training courses beyond the bare minimum health and safety and CSCS. I now realise it was probably a case of you don't ask- you don't get, as I've seen other placement students at Bentley's get put on training courses.

My time at Bentleys was enjoyable and rewarding. Despite lack of training as a placement student I'm confident this would increase when I'm a graduate. JN Bentley are also expanding quickly, meaning there's a chance to grow with the company- this appeals to me a lot. I think the opportunity to work for a growing company is more appealing than working for a huge multinational, I certainly felt recognised and its somewhere I feel I could progress.

In the office yes. Large amounts of similarly aged people to socialise with. On site there is less people to socialise with but the opportunities to socialise with the wider office and site teams are definitely there.

West midlands is generally cheap to live and socialise. The Shiffnal head office in my region can have costly houses but with Wolverhampton near by- cheap rent/housing isn't far away.

The head office is located in Shiffnal, a countryside town, and it has some great pubs/bars. Its no city centre though so if you're looking for a more lively nightlife Birmingham or Wolverhampton isn't too far away.

Yes! The sports and social team do a great job putting on numerous activities throughout the year open to all.