Undergraduate Building Services Engineer Review

This internship was very valuable to gain experience within the construction industry. I thoroughly enjoyed working here at John Sisk & Son throughout the summer. It was hard going but paid off well as i was able to apply my university studies into practice. Overall, I was well mentored and had good support when completing daily tasks.

Everyone at John Sisk and Son was very welcoming and were always happy to help. Each colleague always took their time out to show me around and talk to me in regards of the project and my daily tasks. i felt like a valued asset to Sisk completing tasks before the given deadlines.

My manager was extremely helpful, always aiding me in need of advice. The support given by my manager was extremely beneficial as I have learnt so much during my time at Sisk. My manager had set objectives for me ensuring that the work I was doing was effective and beneficial.

Having set out my objectives, I always had something to do during my time here at Sisk. Daily site walks every morning with my colleagues, ensuring the program is up to date and on track. My manager and supervisor ensured that I always had something to do and ensured I was kept busy.

I was given a fair amount of responsibility at my time in Sisk. For example, I was working with the Senior Quantity Surveyor and assisted him with the Interim Program report, dealing with maintenance and additional work reports. I also had to check for Contract and Variation sheets to look for any incorrect/updated reports to add to the excel and take note of.

My studies had given me the fundamentals and groundwork of the engineering industry. Applying this knowledge in practice has allowed me to gain a greater understanding and allowed me to fully get hands on with Sisk with my university background I gained and improved many skills during my time at Sisk such as teamwork, communication, working well under pressure. These skills will be applied everyday and in university when it comes to group projects and dissertation writing.

The overall atmosphere in the office was okay. Each colleague were happy to help however the atmosphere was dull. Colleagues had just focused on their work. However, everyone is very kind and happy to help regardless of the atmosphere or how busy they were to ensure that the experience I had was effective

The first week of starting my placement was not well prepared. Due to some complications within Sisk, I was not assigned a line manager to report to and I did not receive my laptop till the 2nd week of placement. Valuable time was wasted during the first week. Therefore, the placement could’ve been improved if Sisk was more prepared for interns to start placement

The company did invest much of their time to ensure the students have a productive internship. Setting out objectives with your mentor, and manager to make the most out your time. The company train you well to allow you to get your chartered ship once graduated which opens many doors for graduate students.

John Sisk and Son have an excellent graduation program called Excelerate. This program is a 3 year course and you move to a new project every 6 months working in different roles. This is a very appealing program as it will gain your charter-ship and gain invaluable experience in the construction industry.

The project I was working on did not have many placement students, however their were many graduate colleagues that were always keen to socialise after work and give advice and knowledge on the construction industry from a recent graduates perspective. Having fellow graduates in the project is very helpful as they can help you get your foot through the door settling in.

Cost of living in Manchester was reasonable, it was not too expensive to find accommodation and the food is normal pricing compared to anywhere in the UK. The project in Manchester is in the city center so there is many local places to eat and socialise after work. Overall Manchester is a very affordable place

Manchester has a fantastic nightlife, especially for students. There are many different parts of the city to accustom different preferences of lifestyles. Spinningfields is expensive however had the best views for drinks etc Overall, working in Manchester is very good for the experience and for the night life that will suit everyone.

I did not come across many opportunities outside of work to get involved in however, i did participate in volunteering work that was organised by Sisk. Volunteered to talk to students from St Monica’s – Adopt a School Program. I was giving them advice on how to get into the construction industry and answering any questions that they may have on my role and working as an engineer