Industrial Trainee Review

My work environment was very pleasant, my colleagues were all happy to help and support me and I always felt comfortable asking for help or expressing when I was unsure. I didn't give it 10 stars for enjoyment as there may be times when workload is low (this can be individually or across the team) and in these moments its hard to feel engaged. Also, the work available might not necessarily always be 'enjoyable' e.g. checking documents. However, my colleagues knew what type of work I enjoyed and tried to offer it to me when possible.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues, I was invited to social events and given support with general life e.g. being a new driver, where to live when I first started, understanding bills etc. At work my efforts were appreciated and in my last few days it did feel like I would be missed. I felt like I could be myself which was something I appreciated.

My line manager was supportive in making sure I felt like I was getting what I wanted from the placement. He also offered support and advice with regards to career and returning to university. Similarly, my assigned buddy was really helpful and as a woman it was nice to hear her experiences within engineering. She also wanted to make sure I was getting what I wanted out of my placement and beyond. Our team manager was also very supportive and gave advice in the same way. Everyone in management roles within the office were very easy to reach and talk to which created a good level of honesty and openness.

Most days were busy and there was enough work to fill time with. However, as I learned is the nature of consultancy, work comes in waves and there were days/weeks of intense work whereas the next week could be very quiet resulting in asking around for work. It was important to get to know everyone so that when the quiet days did come I felt comfortable asking around if anyone had work they needed support with.

I wasn't given any project management roles, but I was given the space to do my own thing. I believe this was appropriate at my level as there would be a lot to learn before that stage. However, I was given the opportunity to shadow project managers and learn the processes involved. There was work I did independently and I never felt micro managed, as long as I communicated any issues I was left to it. In some projects it was more appropriate to work completely alongside the project manager or other colleagues.

I believe the skills I learned will be extremely helpful in my degree and career. My communication skills have improved as I had to speak to a range of people in different roles. My technical competencies grew with regards to CAD software, using excel, and theoretical knowledge. There are a lot of things that I did this year that I can include when going for chartership too.

The office had a range of personalities and with different people being in on different days the atmosphere could fluctuate. Some days could be fairly quiet, and others were more busy, lively and loud. The space was open plan but somewhat large enough that you could avoid or get closer to noise depending on where you sat.

I think the placement was set up well from the larger company point of view. You were treated as a graduate, so had a lot of the same induction, opportunities and things to get involved with as them. Having a 'buddy' assigned from before the beginning of the placement was a nice touch too because it meant you could ask questions beforehand and have someone to go to during.

I was given a lot of training and development opportunities. I was treated like a graduate for the most part, so almost anything they could do I could do. I was given the same training courses as other employees and even some extra ones as someone new to industry. I took advantage of as many things as I could.

I believe if I wanted to work for the company in the office I had my placement in I would have a very good chance at getting a grad job. In other offices I believe I would have a good chance too but would have to go through the same processes as everyone else.

My office was fairly small which made for a good working environment as everyone was comfortable and friendly, but it also meant there was a small number of grads. I got on well with the grads in my office but socialising outside of work was rare. There is opportunity to make friends with grads from other offices, as I did, but meeting up in person isn't easy as they are in different cities.

The cost of living was very reasonable, my rent was a great price and included bills, car insurance was lower than the value in the area of my university, there's a range of budget friendly shops. As there is the University of Derby there are things aimed at students and student prices available on public transport etc. While Derby is a small city, Nottingham isn't far either for socialising.

I didn't really experience the nightlife in Derby but there are a few clubs and some nice bars. With the University of Derby in the area, there are student nights and events on too.

There were staff socials, and colleagues would invite me to things too, both career focused and just for fun. There were a some things to do, it just depended on how comfortable you felt going alone or asking someone to come. While Derby did have a lot of stuff on offer, Nottingham isn't too far either to find things to do.