Industrial Placement Student Review

I am an assistant engineer in the building-structures team in Bristol. I've done CAD drawing, financial calculations for project management, report-writing, structural analysis and design management.

Yes! My communication and confidence have both seen a dramatic improvement. The more you reach out on placement, the more you get out of it, so the ownness is really on you to meet everyone. I have also learned software I didn't use at university, such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Navisworks and Robot, ProjectWise and even using Excel in more advanced ways for project management.

I was given some level of responsibility but not too much. I was in charge of carrying out Earned Value Analysis for two projects and feeding that information back to the project manager. I was also put in charge of uploading our deliverables to the client's server for one of my projects, pushing them to a state where the client could view everything.

I received a lot of support. From day one my line manager has been very accommodating. I also had a buddy for my first day in the office who gave me a tour and answered all of my queries. The office is a young one which made reaching out easier, especially at the start. And anyone I've had to ask for help has always been more than willing to answer my questions!

The company culture was really positive. As the office is generally very young and there are a lot of graduates, there's always things going on! People are often hanging out after work especially on Fridays, and there are formally arranged socials too - for example 5-a-side football every Monday night. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the best part of the experience.

I enjoyed my placement a fair amount. It was really interesting to understand how the consulting industry works on the inside, and what does or does not carry over from university. It was exciting to work on real projects as opposed to hypothetical ones at university as well. I have enjoyed collaborating with a wide range of team members and taking advantage of the networking opportunities.

Yes

Go for it! Believe you can make a difference and make the most of the opportunity. Make sure you meet all the application deadlines on time and that you have the skill of self-reflection and the ability to market your own skills. When it comes to the interview, be yourself, prepare and practise beforehand and you'll be good to go!