Battery DV Intern Review

The work placement at JLR was a really good one. It was a slow start for the first 2 weeks but things got very interesting and busy quite quickly. The work I was given was quite important to the company and I felt like I was making a real impact on the business so I really enjoyed the work and the responsibilities that were given.

There were only 3 people, including myself, working on the project so all of us were quite dependent on each other's work and valued each other's contribution to the project. Worked quite well as a team and everyone was very friendly.

Supports and guidance given were very good. They definitely give you a lot of support to get you up to the speed for the project as I was only there for 3 months. Even during the project, a lot of explanation of why and how things are being done were given to help the learning process. Sometimes my colleagues were too busy or pre-occupied, in that case, I just sent them a message or ask them later and they were all very more than happy to help out and explain things for me.

I was quite bored for the first 2 weeks and felt like I wasn't given enough work to do. But after those couple of weeks, things completely changed and it was really busy. Experiments to run, reports to write, presentations to make, documentation and etc. Apart from few odd occasions, I didn't feel like I was overwhelmed by the workload but enough to keep me well occupied and busy throughout the day. It was also really good that you were not expected to work beyond your working hours (e.g at home).

The responsibility I was given was actually quite crucial to the company and expand their market. I would attend the same meetings as all the other colleagues, given the same responsibilities and were treated like a permanent employee. That's why I think it was really important to absorb as much knowledge and information as you can in the first couple of weeks so you can understand what is expected from you and your work. There were only 3 people working on the project I was in so everything was quite fast-paced and it was crucial to get work done on time.

Academically, I felt like I came in with the right skills. Researching/reading paper, conducting experiments and writing experimental reports and basic back-of-the envelope calculations. The skills that I feel like I have developed further are on more social/networking side of things. Such as networking with people, working with various of people, how to present myself and collaborating with other company/supplier to deliver and make progress on the project.

The general atmosphere of the office was bright and friendly. Everyone were very friendly and helped me settle well. Frequently, free food/snacks were provided which was nice. Obviously office is a place of work so there are times when things are quiet and everyone is working but in general the atmosphere of the office was vibrant and I enjoyed working there.

The overall internship was quite well organised. My manager and colleagues helped me to get me up to speed for the work that needed to be done. That was done through various materials provided such as online courses and print outs. The minor problem was that I wasn't expecting to have to change office during the internship, which did through me off a little bit and had to get familiar with the new environment. Also, the company laptops for undergraduates arrived a week after the placement started so it meant most of us couldn't get started properly until we got our laptops.

I see the whole internship as a personal training and development as you are learning and developing new skills throughout the placement. So in that sense, the company invests in you a fair bit. Economically, they pay for your work and you can take out company car to attend various meetings. Time-wise, people around you will definitely help you in your learning even if they are quite busy. So just ask them. The company also has a undergraduate shadowing opportunity where you can visit a different department and spend a couple of weeks to see how they work and what they do.

Future employment prospect is quite good, just depends really on how you do. The company itself really wants to intake interns/returning graduates rather than going through the whole selecting/screening process. I heard in induction that around 90% of the graduates who got employed by the company were the returning ones. So as long as you do a good job, you are likely to get on the graduate scheme.

Yes for sure. I wasn't, personally, too active on the social side of things but from what I saw, the interns seemed to get along really well and active on the group chat. Organising activities like swimming, movies and etc. Also going out to a pub every weekend. So the overall social scene amongst the interns is really good.

The cost of living and socialising is not too bad. Based in Coventry, cost of living is definitely cheaper than London. Food-wise, I cooked most of the times so no difference to just grocery shopping in London. I had to take bus everyday, so I bought a monthly bus pass which was around 32 pounds, which is roughly a pound a day. Definitely a lot cheaper than London's monthly transport pass. The rent is also very cheap compare to London prices.

Not too sure about this in all honesty. I didn't really go out at night.

Yes, there seemed to be a good selection of activities that you could try out outside of work. There were activities that took place every week such as 5 a-side football and touch rugby. Then there were activities that took place occasionally depending on what is available such as paint balling, go-karting and etc. There's a regular emails sent out to graduates and undergraduates about these activities and how to get involved.