Vocation Student - MEP Electrical Review

The role was in electrical engineering in building services: Day to day this included team meetings and coordination between disciplines, working on CAD models in Revit, Dialux or Amtech, creating schedules of equipment and performing calculations such as max demand, lighting, etc. On occasion it would also be my responsibility to engage with manufacturers for information or listen in to meetings with collaborating companies on projects. There was also continual reading on standards and guides.

I have learnt a variety of new skills, from specific CAD skills or calculation methods, to rules of thumb methods from standards. I have also dramatically improved my knowledge of building services engineering and the practices involved. I have also been able to apply conceptual and technical skills and knowledge from my uni course in electrical and mechanical aspects.

I was given considerable level of responsibility in my placement for my stage in my undergraduate teaching but was given effective guidance throughout. I was able to make decisions on projects and perform estimations that were then used by the team. The level of trust and responsibility given allowed the work to be useful and for me to feel useful during my placement.

The support and guidance was brilliant. The team are extremely helpful and willing to give the time whenever they can, I felt like I could ask anyone for support and was able to learn from multiple engineers with difference experience and skills. The team and my buddy were also well equipped to provide guidance and support and knew exactly what to provide to benefit my learning and help me solve problems.

The atmosphere at work was really good, both in office and if working from home. Anyone could fire a question to anyone on teams and there was a great level of friendliness and community in the MEP team. The office was really welcoming and I got to know so many people from so many disciplines. The company wide ethos and training prioritised inclusivity and creating a safe workplace and it was clear staff adopted this.

I really enjoyed my placement, I got along really well with the team and felt like I was doing useful work, learning on the job and also helping the team with projects. I also enjoyed social events with the team, and got to get to know a lot of people well for only a 6 week placement.

Yes

If applying to Arup it's important to show a willingness to learn as a lot of the skills used in services are uncommon courses. It's important to be humble and honest in interview; indicate what you want to learn about and transferable skills gained in and outside of uni. Everyone is looking to help your development even in the application process, so asking for help when it's needed is key.