This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
It was a really good opportunity, and the 2 week training provided at the start of my summer placement helped me get up to the same starting level as the other interns who were perhaps more experienced than me before starting. The company valued me and supported me through completing my work, even when I found parts difficult.
For software engineering, you get put in a scrum team after the 2 weeks training course as the only intern, and immediately I was made to feel involved and part of the team. Every team member was willing to offer help in their area of expertise and made me feel welcome at Autodesk.
My manager was very good at choosing tasks for me that were important and needed doing, so i got the full experience of working here, but that were also relatively easy whilst I was still learning and then got progressively more complex and interesting. There was always something to be doing to keep busy.
I got to implement changes that were going to go out into the next release of the Fusion360 product. It was great to see the changes that I'd put in show up in the final product, and it really made me feel like I'd done something worthwhile to help the company.
I learnt many new things whilst on my software engineering placement at Autodesk.I learnt to use git, sourcetree, visual studio, c++, c#, Unity and Fusion360. I came with no knowledge of any of the above areas, and the company really helped me land on my feet with the 2 week training program.
The Company
The office was quite quiet, which is good for working, but that didn't mean you couldn't talk to people or ask questions all the time. There is a games room downstairs with a playstation and table football, and free tea and coffee on every floor, so there was lots of time to socialise and relax aswell.
Very well organised, we were taken out for socials to get to know each other, we were sent welcome emails in advance to get us prepared for starting and we were given a 2 week training course before being sent into teams. Someone was always there to show us round and get us settled in.
They invested a lot, they are really keen to get their interns to come back and work for them once they graduate. They provide 2 weeks training and then further on the job training specific to your team. They made us feel welcome and valued as software engineers and people took time out of their day to help us.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Very appealing. Autodesk look after its employees well, providing grants for dental and eyecare, life insurance, you can claim back money for the gym and other sports, the pay is good and the hours are flexible and there is opportunity for progression within the company. They have sites worldwide so you are not limited to staying in the UK.
The Culture
Autodesk were very keen for us to get to know the other interns, and during my 10 week placement provided 4 intern and graduate socials involving free meals out, drinks and activities such as escape rooms and frisbee golf - all paid for and organised by the company. This was a huge improvement on other companies I have done placements at.
Birmingham is great, it's a very central city like London but without all the downsides like inflated prices. I am from the North East originally and I didn't really notice much of a price difference in pubs etc. I lived in a shared student house as I also go to University in Birmingham, and most years i have paid £368.33 a month excluding bills - but this was for a 12 month contract.
Birmingham has loads of clubs and bars in town, it is a very big city and there is something for everyone. There is a gay quarter with bars and clubs, they have a rock bar thats open all night and often has life music, they have a popworld, other pop and rnb clubs and plenty of fancy cocktail places, and even a pinball bar.
Autodesk were very keen for us to get to know the other interns, and during my 10 week placement provided 4 intern and graduate socials involving free meals out, drinks and activities such as escape rooms and frisbee golf - all paid for and organised by the company. This was a huge improvement on other companies I have done placements at.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Computer Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering, Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design
West Midlands
September 2019