Industrial Placement Review

Every day at the Met Office was an absolute joy. The super modern office, the people, the facilities and the vast array of learning opportunities made me eager to get into work in the morning!

My colleagues were extremely helpful and answered all of my questions. They were very encouraging and motivating which really made me want to try my best. I also had opportunities from many people to work on their projects allowing me to learn a variety of skills.

I had a fair amount of help to begin with because of the learning curve of this specific area. I was able to ask for help from lots of colleagues even if they hadn't given me the work, and colleagues would periodically stop by and ask how I was getting on which was really nice.

I always had projects to be working on at the Met Office. I was encouraged to let my manager know both when I thought I had too much on, or if I didn't have enough. I personally took the quieter times as an opportunity to expand my knowledge watching a variety training material available to me online which I really enjoyed.

I was given real projects that were challenging and useful to the organisation, and some could potentially affect many people if something were to go wrong. I was always reassured that if I did anything wrong accidentally it would not matter, and the team would be right by my side to help me out. I also had the option of handing projects on to colleagues if I wasn't keen on it.

I gained industry-standard knowledge that is transferable to any business with a network. I gained the CCENT networking qualification which is universally recognised, all thanks to the Met Office. I learned a systematic approach to take on projects start to finish which will help in my final year of university.

Very friendly and had many laughs, yet still very professional. I never once felt offended/bullied/harassed. The atmosphere at the Met Office is one that every company should be aiming for.

The placement was organised very well, the quarterly presentations in particular. Even for a shy person like me, they are great for telling your placement peers what you've been up to. By the time the first presentation came around, I had lots to talk about. There is a perfect balance between structure and flexibility on the scheme. For instance, I had objectives set at the start which are reviewed throughout the year, but these can be tailored to your interests as they develop, or even a complete change. It's all about you.

The most notable way the Met Office invested in me was the amount of paid training resources available. In the Networks team I could watch world-class networking videos complete with practical lab resources, and official books. I was even given access to a cloud training platform as I showed an interest in it. There were opportunities to broaden my knowledge by being immersed in other teams for a few days. Essentially anything I wanted to learn, the Met Office gave me the opportunity to do so, whether through the resources mentioned or the knowledgeable people I was able to talk to.

I would love to work at the Met Office again.

Colleagues and peers were always organising gatherings and dinners. It was great to get to know everyone outside of work.

Above average. I would look at renting a small house with maybe 1 other person next time, as individual rental rooms in a shared house are not good value.

Didn't experience the nightlife but peers say it is good.

There are many societies within the Met Office where people meet on certain days.