EID Manufacturing Engineering Intern Review

I really enjoyed my time with GE Aviation as I was treated equally and never felt I was inferior to anyone in the business. The Cell was friendly and supportive and I felt I had developed good relationships with a range of personalities. Especially throughout a difficult period in lockdown I always enjoyed coming into work and interacting with a wholesome and likeminded group of people. I would thoroughly enjoy working within the business again.

I quickly felt comfortable within my role, mostly down to the respect and patience my colleagues gave me throughout. I was trusted with my own work which allowed me to develop and correct my own mistakes. All work we completed within the Cell was verified which was treated very professionally both when giving and receiving feedback, which I think reflects a high level of respect for one another. I am proud that throughout my Internship the Cell were tasking me with work to complete entirely on my own.

Not once did I doubt the support and backing of my manager, which improved my confidence in my own ability and work. I often contributed my own judgement within meetings and projects independently, knowing I had a second opinion to fall back on if required, which allowed me to efficiently action tasks on my own. The personal training I received was impeccable and shared throughout the team which improved my interpersonal relationships within the team.

Due to the nature of the role, I felt I was always busy but often found this was entirely supporting the Cell. As a result, there was not always time to work proactively on projects and tasks delegated to me due to the Cell requiring immediate and reactive support. However, I found value in a busy work schedule and enjoyed the responsibility of prioritising my work. I would have struggled with an empty diary and have definitely taken less from the Internship as a result.

I quickly completed the initial priorities set out for me, which allowed me to take on more work and broaden my skills and understanding of the business. With this I was able to interact with a wider group of people and experience more areas of the business. By the end of my Internship I felt I was no longer working on peripheral tasks but was directly supporting the Cell whilst continuing to fulfil my role as an Intern.

Not only have I developed the skills and knowledge of my role within the Cell, but the opportunities for further training outside of my daily work was a definite benefit of my Internship. The GE platform for training was exemplery and allows for a broader understanding of the business. Throughout, I felt the company wanted to invest in their workforce and I have definitely come away with training I would never have expected to receive.

The Cell was busy and interactive which gave me the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people within the business. There was a significant contrast when shift work was enforced through lockdown and non-essential workers remained at home. This allowed us to deliver our own work more effectively without the distraction of others, whilst keeping in touch as required through phone conversations and Microsoft Teams. The building had a good mix of age groups which added a social aspect to work.

In terms of the overall work placement, it was well organised and there was clarity in the process and requirements. Once handed over to our Managers, there seemed to be a disconnect between what some were doing and what was expected of others, which could be down to the area of the business they were working within. The onboarding process was confusing as there were several processes and workflows that had to be jumped through.

Throughout my time I was encouraged by the opportunities within the organisation, both from what I discovered in conversation with colleagues and seniors and also those advertised. The Personal Development tool is a reassuring feature as I know there is a record of my successes which can be referred back to in future applications. The breadth of the business is also a very appealing reason to return as there are plenty of avenues to discover that could suit my ambitions even better.

There was immediately positive interactions between the placement students, which was furthered by a committee being formed to organise events and activities both in and outside of the work place. This was proving to be an effective form of socialising until lockdown restrictions came into place. However, without actively seeking out socialising, there was little to no input from the organisation to encourage a community within the placement students. There was also limitations on interactions due to the size of the site and work schedules.

Due to the placement being near my home I was able to live with my Mother and therefore the cost of living was significantly reduced. However, had I needed to live privately in the area, the cost would have dramatically increased and I know I would have often been tight on money. This would have definitely reduced my experience as I felt I was producing an equal, if not higher, quality of work than my colleagues whilst on a largely smaller wage. I think the ability to socialise with peers and friends is often gated by the financial burden of an Internship.

Having lived in the area for the majority of my education, I was impartial to the Nightlife having had enough experience of it prior to my Internship. However, as a newcomer to the area I would be encouraged by the variety and options available. The student environment is also accessible due to the local University which is a definite positive of the area and reduces the contrast of a year in industry compared to an academic year.