Systems Integration Intern Review

My Placement was very enjoyable as I got the chance to learn and develop new skills in topics I would have never imagined. It was in no way repetitive and all my tasks had significance. The company environment is extremely inclusive with individuals at all levels being approachable and willing to invest there time in you.

I felt valued by all my colleagues. Everyone is so keen to learn from everybody else and as someone new to the company your new ideas and perspectives are valued. The team structure within my department allowed me to develop strong relationships with a number of people. I was never working with the same person on the same thing all the time there was a variety which allowed me to integrate into the company and therefore feel valued.

The team structure allows you to have several contact points for support. Obviously I had my line manager but also individual project managers and in general, people who I was working with were always around to answer my questions. The ethos of the company means nobody is off-limits and once I was integrated I was able to contribute by teaching people what I knew and they didn't.

The nature of the work meant that we had certain deadlines so there were busier periods and quiet ones. As teams are reliant on collaborating with many other teams there was always work to be done or help out with. As a placement student, I was given my own personal project to do throughout the year which kept me busy even when my team-based work was a bit quieter.

I had a lot of opportunities to take ownership of tasks and smaller sub-projects that were contributing to the bigger picture. This included some tasks where I had people to organise and make sure we were going to hit the deadline. I was completely responsible for my personal project that ran throughout the year.

As a scientist, I learned a lot of new skills in that field with techniques that I will use in my final year at university. I was also able to try new skills that now I have a deeper interest in and may consider pursuing in the future. Working in the company exposed me to a lot of new possible routes for my career.

The general atmosphere in my office was very positive and inclusive. Everyone is open to chat and help you out with any questions you may have. I had a lot of fun with my team. As the company has an emphasis on the culture of working there I found there were a lot of people similar to me.

The placement overall was well organised. In terms of my day to day work, I was treated like a normal member of the team and had a good support network I could rely on. The activities with other placement students were also good. As one of the first year-placement students in the Research and Development side of the company, there were some things that were modified along the way but this is corrected now.

Future employment prospects with the company are very appealing. I had a great time on placement and developed a lot of new skills. I think that would be the same if working as a full-time employee. There are opportunities to work abroad for this company like in San Deigo which I would consider pursuing.

A lot of placement students in the company lived together. We had events run by Talent Aquisition throughout the year with a range of activities and workshops. There was a good social scene amongst the group and we did lots of activities together. Both nights out and more general social stuff like punting.

The placement was based just outside of cambridge. Cambridge was a great city to live in and experience. The price of living is quite expensive but it is definitely affordable considering the internship was paid. There are a lot of activities to do in Cambridge. The bars and pubs can be quite expensive in comparison to university rates