Biomechanics Test Engineer Review

I have had summer jobs in the past working for different companies but it was nothing like working for J&J. I don't like being sat at my desk all day but I was able to work both in the office and the test labs. I was able to work on a variety of different projects that were challenging and push me to develop a strong skills set both in technical skills and soft/transferable skills.

The work environment at J&J is a great environment to work in. Everyone is very kind and willing to help you out with anything you might have. I have also received an award off a colleague for the work that I have carried out. I also feel comfortable with discussing any issues that I may have whether it be with struggling to priorities work etc.

Throughout my placement I have had weekly one-ones with my supervisor where I can talk through my projects and work tasks, ask questions and discuss any issues that I may be having. Whatever the problem I was having, I was supported and a reasonable solution was often found quickly. I created goals and objectives at the start of my placement and these were reviewed mid year and at the end of my placement by my boss. From these we were able to plan out how I was to achieve the goals that I set out.

This question is very much dependent on how much testing was available. Sometimes I didn't have a lot of testing so I was able to work on my projects. Other times the testing requirements were high and I had to learn to prioritise tasks for each work day. On a very few occasions I found myself with little work and I asked for more.

I was given a lot of responsibility very early on in my placement. I have been trusted and taken responsibility for my own tests where I haven't required much guidance. I have also been trusted to take responsibility for colleagues tests when they were unavailable. I have also been trained and signed-off on a variety of test machines and able to use them without supervision.

I have developed a wide variety of skills whilst working for J&J all of which will assist me with my degree studies. I have become more confident in public speaking which will be helpful with presentations at future interviews. I have also developed great time management skills which will help me juggle university study with my sporting activities better.

The atmosphere in the office is great. We don't have specific seats so we can sit wherever we would like. This allows you to get to know a variety of different people in the workplace and make more friends and connections. We also have cake day every fortnight which of course makes everyone happy!

My team was not informed of my contracted start date and what time I was arriving on site. As a result of this there was no one to greet me whilst other student placements were being picked up by their colleagues and I was left alone in a room for a while whilst people were trying to get in contact with my team. Although this was not a great start, it made for a funny conversation later on in my placement and in hindsight this situation made me become more independent.

I have been trained on a variety of test machines. I was given opportunities to attend on site training courses and any event that was open to the whole of the R&D site. However, I was not given permission to attend conferences and events that I had personally found that we supplement my learning at J&J. This is somewhat particularly disheartening when you are aware that other placement students at other companies have been given permission to attend.

I will be applying to the graduate scheme at J&J as I know there is still a huge amount that I can learn from the company and get involved with. I also spent a lot of time working with graduates with project work and testing and witnessed how much they had learnt even in the early days of them being with the company.

We had monthly dinner clubs where we could all go out to a restaurant in the town center after pay day to have food. I have also been on 2 team building events, both of which were escape rooms. I found that the placement students stayed within the group of placement students that they were living with. In my case, I only know the students who are working in the R&D departments and never see or speak to those in other departments/areas

The cost of living in Leeds is much cheaper than back at my University if you are living in the student areas. There is a cinema, bowling and a trampoline park near where I live and loads of restaurants close by so great for socialising. More often than not I cycle to and from work so I don't have to pay the cost of transportation.

The Nighlight is great if you go to the city center which is about a 15minute drive from the work site. There are a variety of different pubs and clubs to suit all tastes. I am not much of a partier so I wouldn't be able to make any good recommendations of where to go.

There are many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. I sometime took part in pub quizzes and looked at joining the womens football club. I love road cycling and I can be in the countryside within a 20minutes, and this is in huge contrast other cities I have cycled in.