Civil Engineering - Industrial Placement Trainee Review

The office environment I joined was very friendly and welcoming. There were opportunities to socialise and meet people from different teams. This meant that I not only enjoyed the work I was doing but looked forward to going to the office and seeing my colleagues. I was given a variety of work throughout the year. Although there were some tasks I enjoyed more than others, changing regularly meant that my placement was always interesting

On the whole I felt very valued by my colleagues. The work I did was appreciated and I could see that it added value to the projects I was a part of. I felt that my colleagues valued my opinion and would ask for my input when we faced problems with a task.

I was very fortunate to join a team where my colleagues were all happy to support me and provide guidance when I had queries over my placement. Having said this, I did not feel that I had a nominated supervisor that I could automatically turn to. It would have been very useful to have someone checking in on my work and progress. I think I could have gained even more from my placement if my goals for the year were identified when I first started and monitored throughout. I believe this is the role a supervisor would have provided.

My workload varied quite considerably throughout the year, there were some days were I felt extremely busy and some where I was a little bored. This is often the case on project work and understandable. However, there were some occasions where I was too light on work that felt avoidable; for instance if my transitions between projects were managed more carefully. On occasions, I found myself trying hard to find more work, which made me feel that my time was not valued as highly. These were the occasions were I would have appreciated having a dedicated supervisor to turn to. Having said this, most days I believe I was given a good balance of work that kept me comfortably busy.

On each project I joined, it took a little time to be given tasks with a good level of responsibility. This is what I expected and I really appreciated that I was given the opportunity each time to prove my capabilities. I felt my managers on most projects kept track of my performance and awarded me work with greater responsibility accordingly. This meant I felt comfortable and able to take on the level of responsibility I was given. I really valued the trust they put in me.

I developed a variety of skills at Arup, from more technical abilities to people and management skills. I was able to attend lunchtime talks and a training day to cover technical areas that I was interested in. These technical skills will be very useful in completing my degree. Having said this, I think the softer skills I gained will be even more useful for my future studies and career. It is not so easy to be taught these at university but they are essential when working on group projects and during presentations/meetings with tutors or clients.

The office had a good balance between a serious working atmosphere with fun and social interludes. I felt comfortable asking questions and sometimes chatting with my colleagues whilst also getting my work done. There was a level of trust for the whole team that work would be completed. I did not feel monitored closely but worked hard because I wanted to and knew the rest of my team were all also working hard to deliver our project.

I don't feel my placement was set up particularly well. My role was not defined clearly when I first started nor my goals for the year. I think the lack of clarity in my role made it hard for managers to know what level of work to give me. I also then found it hard to know how well I was performing; I had no indication of what I should be aiming for nor the type of work or support I should have been expecting. It would have been really nice to have officially meet other interns within the company and have a formal induction when we started. I think there should have been more clarity in my position and what Arup expected from me.

During my year at Arup, my appraisal (halfway through the placement) identified areas in which I could develop over the rest of the year. This felt very useful however a lot of the actions identified were then not carried through. Having said this, when I identified a training course I was interested in attending, my manager was happy to approve the training and I was given a full day to attend. I found this very beneficial. What I valued most was the time people in the firm were prepared to invest in me. From people giving up lunches to explain tasks I found difficult to just the fact that colleagues were always willing to find a moment and pause their work to answer my questions.

I'd be very pleased to join the Arup graduate programme because I enjoyed the work I was given and can see how I might progress within the company. I also really valued the social aspects of the office and firm; these make Arup a very appealing future employment prospect.

The social scene amongst my colleagues was vibrant and good fun. There were lots of sporting teams to get involved in as well as parties and general socialising after work. Trips were arranged over weekends; a particular highlight was the Arup grad ski trip. My friends in the office worked at every level, I felt equal to everyone on the team. However, I would have liked to be introduced to the other people in the same position I was in - I did not meet any other placement students.

I was fortunate to live at home during my placement which really helped with the cost of living. If I hadn't I don't think I'd have been able to socialise as much as I did. The cost of rent, living and transport would have been very high and have made socialising pretty unaffordable.

There was a great atmosphere in the area around where I worked with an excellent choice of bars and pubs. Having said this, nightlife in central london is quite expensive.

Arup really encouraged their workforce to get involved in all sorts of activities outside of work. As a team we had parties, picnics, played golf, an organised cycle over a weekend to name but a few. Company wide there were sports teams such as football, netball, hockey, volleyball, rock climbing etc. At the office itself after-work acitivites were often organised including comedy nights, bingo and even dance classes.