Undergraduate Qualification Engineer Review

The experience was very enjoyable despite the coronavirus pandemic. I had the opportunity to witness the ins and outs of the aviation industry and gain a technical insight on the required testing for an aerospace product. Unfortunately the pandemic stopped me from being able to witness more testing - but I still had the opportunity to work in a different way. The experience I gained on placement is extremely valuable and I look forwards to be able to use it in the future.

Throughout the year, all the other interns and myself organised a KAIZEN meeting. The aim of this meeting was to improve the intern experience. All of our suggestions were considered - this made me feel like a valuable member of the team. I have also been given a lot of responsibility within my team to carry out projects.

My manager supported me throughout the entire placement. I was often guided/advised on how to proceed in projects where I was lacking experience or knowledge and I feel as though I benefited from this guidance.

Due to the small team I was working in. The day to day work was quite busy. However, the quantity of work was nicely distributed and this allowed me to take part in industry or skills training when I required them.

I had the opportunity to manage projects. This required contacting various team members in order to gain the relevant information. I felt independent at times when the project was within my capabilities and did not have to worry about being micromanaged.

The training I recieved throughout my placement was highly beneficial. THis included practical engineering training such as learning how to use a CAD software. The training also included essential skills training such as presentation training - this allowed me to increase the efficiency of my presentations.

The general atmosphere in the office is very enjoyable. Socials are a part of office life and this made my placement enjoyable. The only negative aspect of the atmosphere are the general tensions one can find in any engineering office - this is only normal.

Pall has a lot of experience in placements as the company has been doing this for am long time. The interns are treated to specific training as well as "breakfast club" events which exposes the intern to other sectors of the business.

The company invested in CAD training. More importantly the company allowed me to work from home during the pandemic following an email from my university. This was very generous considering my home is in a different country to the office.

This placement has allowed me to understand how a large company such as Pall functions. Although I have really enjoyed my time here, I have also decided that I am not interested in returning to the company. The reason is that I find Pall is too big of a company for me. I would rather work in a smaller company and be given a variety of different challenges.

The social scene among students and colleagues were both very good. These included events such as escape rooms, diners and even dry slope skiing. All this without feeling pressured to go out all the time.

The cost of living was quite cheap compared to my salary (£435 monthly rent). Socializing was also conveniently priced.

I rarely go out in the evening, but the nightlife in Portsmouth was very enjoyable with many different places to go to.

Yes, these included mountain biking, visiting race tracks and football.