CAT-E placement student Review

The overall experience, compared to an average year in Uni was definitely less enjoyable. Time at work is split between interesting tasks and things that need to be assigned to junior people (because it would be a waste of a more senior engineer's time). Although this is expected and understandable, it is not enjoyable. Hence the score of 5.

I always felt like a required and functional part of the team. All tasks that I was given needed doing and I was never asked to do something that felt like a waste of time. I also felt that my skills were valued. People from other teams assigned tasks to me in various occasions, when they though I had the skills for the job.

I had weekly meetings with my supervisor to discuss ongoing work and get new tasks. I also had meetings with my manger every 2 - 3 weeks to check how I was doing and what I was working on. During meetings with my manager I also had the opportunity to discuss more about the business and industry.

There were definitely ups and downs. The first month was well packed with learning and introductions but after that, work increased/decreased every few months. I actively asked for more work but it often became clear that at times it would be the entire team that was low on work. Towards the end of the placement most weeks were partially loaded, with many afternoons spent idling or working slowly.

I had the opportunity to work on software and hardware validation which always carries some responsibility because you are working on making sure that a product does what is supposed to do and doesn't break. Thus, monitoring test procedures, logging tests and troubleshooting do feel like they carry some responsibility and value for the company.

The skills acquired during the placement could be useful during team work at university. However, they are much more relevant to future work life. I would say I have gained on my soft skills but lost much of the technical knowledge learnt at university because most of it was not used.

There is a good balance between fun and work. People are friendly and helpful and they will take the time to hear your opinions and answer your questions. A lot of work is always going on but there are also a number of clubs like ping pong over lunch an pay day burger lunch that make you feel like there is also time for fun.

My manager knew where I was going to be doing from day 1 so I was very quickly integrated into the team and brought up to speed with my responsibilities. After an unplanned organisational reform (which affected the entire office) my manager also made sure that I moved into a new role that was relevant to my background.

I completed several required learning courses on company culture and safety. All CAT employees are required to complete these on a yearly basis. I was also given the opportunity to enroll and attend other more technical online and taught courses on programming with proprietary tools, CAT processes and even basic assembly line knowledge. During the placement I also had the opportunity to travel to other CAT facilities to learn about other areas of the business.

There are many opportunities within Caterpillar. I'm sure anyone can find one that is interesting for them.

Yes, there were 20+ placements at the site I worked in. So it was always easy to make plans for the weekend or after work.

The city is affordable with what you are paid. Affordable - not cheap.

Poor. There is only one nightclub in the city which is quite expensive because they have no competition. Bars are cheap though.

Some but not many. Most originated at work in the form of hiking trips or charity events.