Industrial Placement Student Review

Day to day I usually produce general arrangement drawings on AutoCAD for different bridge structures, as well as calculate capacities for reinforced concrete structures. Aside from that I also handle lots of smaller tasks such as organising incoming and outgoing information and inputting data into spreadsheets so that I can produce graphs and other visuals.

I have greatly improved my use of AutoCAD as well as my general knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel, also I have learnt how to use ProjectWise and Bentley software. In terms of soft skills I have learnt how to be flexible and manage my time better especially while working on multiple projects with varying deadlines. Also I have improved my general communication skills by talking with colleagues and team members.

I believe I was given more responsibility than I thought I was going to get. I often conducted penultimate checks for technical documents and was given the responsibility to produce my own calculations and technical dossier for a project.

Throughout the whole placement I was given plenty support and guidance. I was assigned a buddy who was a graduate that started a year before me and he was very helpful whenever I needed help. The project managers I have worked with also provided me with ample support when I had technical queries. My line manager checked up with me frequently and I found that the quarterly meetings we had were sufficient.

The company culture and general atmosphere at Motts was great, I was made to feel very welcome and everyone was extremely friendly. The company atmosphere was fairly relaxed and not too overbearing and the office provided a comfortable work environment. The office also had frequent social events which allowed for people to get to know each other outside of work.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Motts, when I first started I was anxious and did not know what to expect as I had not had a job previously but everyone was welcoming and the work was interesting. I was provided with a variety of work on different projects without being overloaded and I found that completing tasks across different projects felt very fulfilling.

Yes

During the interview stage just relax and speak clearly, the people at Mott MacDonald are very friendly and it felt like I was having a conversation with the interviewer rather than being questioned. If you do end up working for Motts then make the most of the experience because they provide a number of benefits and opportunities both in terms of work and socially, and the friends you make are definitely friends for life.