Undergraduate Engineer Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on placement. I was was rotated between structural work on the bridge, drainage run calculations and roadworks. On each section I asked lots of questions and eventually learnt enough to become independent and work on my own. The only downside was the relatively long hours compared to other placements.

Everyone was friendly and made me feel like part of the team. Anytime I had questions, people in the office were more than happy to help. This wasn't just limited to people in the office. Out on site, contractors appreciated my contribution and were happy to offer advise.

I didn't really have structured supervision throughout. But people in my office took responsibility for me when it came to guiding me around site and giving me things to do.

At the start I had very little to do as I was waiting for a CSCS card. However after about 2 weeks I always had enough to do to keep me busy for the whole day.

When I felt that I was ready, my cooworkers trusted me to carry out tasks by myself. This was rewarding as it taught me to be independent on site.

I didn't use much technical knowledge apart from when it came to drainage run calculations. However my experience at Sisk will help immensely with project management related modules in my 3rd year of University.

It was a calm and relaxed environment. Everyone could talk freely to each other. But at the same time, we all got work done. People would freely help each other out whenever queries arises. There was a wide range of ages in my office but no one felt left out of any socializing.

Organisation at the start wasn't the best. I had to await a CSCS card for 2-3 weeks before I could truly do anything alone. However this was only because it took a while for the person in charge of bookings to get back to me. Also I only received information about the job logistics right before my placement begun. However after the start, organisation was fine.

The company paid for my CSCS exam. The only reason I didn't get funded first aid training too was because my placement was only 12 weeks.

The Sisk excelerate programme looks like a great thing to be a part of. It also has a high salary compared to other graduate jobs and many other benefits such as subsidized living costs and mentoring towards becoming a chartered engineer.,

Every few weeks someone would organise drinks after work. Also there was Go-Karting paid for by another company that were were all invited too. Plus near the end there was a company BBQ. It is clear the the company made an effort to organise social activities. These all helped everyone in the office bond.

Cambridge is a relatively expensive place to live but I found a room that was cheaper than most.

Cambridge has decent nightlife but the issue is my site was so far from the city center. Plus I rented a room nearby + cycled so I was hardly able to take part in nightlife.