Image Processing Summer Placement Review

Researching and developing new AI and image processing techniques. This included reading and making notes on academic papers, experimenting with and testing code, manually writing code, and performing analysis. Day-to-day also included communicating with members of the team to provide insights into each others' work and potentially ask for advice or feedback in order to improve. Project could be individual or part of a team, and would include occasional (e.g. fortnightly or monthly) meetings to keep track of progress and share knowledge with each other.

I developed practical skills in both image processing and AI after having only done each of these on a mostly theory level prior to the placement. This included learning about specific models through reading papers and their associated code before modifying, or in some cases completely rewriting this code for a custom implementation. Challenges were far enough outside of my comfort zone to feel like I was constantly learning and improving my existing skillset, whilst opportunity was provided for self-direction in terms of what I did. This allowed me to learn new skills that I specifically wanted to develop, such as programming in a specific language, whilst still working towards the targets set for me as part of the placement. Also improved interpersonal skills. By just having regular interactions with people from a much wider variety of backgrounds than you might find on a computer science university course, you gain an appreciation both for different routes onto the same project, but also the different strengths of people based on their backgrounds. Then, leveraging these different backgrounds to help improve your own progress and work and really bounce off one another.

I was given a fair amount of responsibility. A set of guidelines for the general direction of my placement were given, along with regular reviews to see how I was getting along, but in terms of the actual execution it was mostly up to me and a "it'll be what you choose to make of it" kind of approach, which I really appreicated. I think this was really important as it meant you don't just end up following a checklist of objectives and you can really get stuck into the project and enjoy what you're working on.

Support and guidance wasn't forced upon me, but was given initially to help me get accomodated and always felt like it was available if it was needed. All members of the team were friendly and accommodating and I genuinely felt like I could go to any of them should I need guidance or advice. This was extremely valuable as the different experience levels in various fields of my colleagues meant that some would be more appropriate for seeking guidance on a certain task than others, depending on the content of the question.

Collaborative and friendly. Not overly like a "family" as to feel forced, but felt like it was easy to make genuine friendships and nobody was ever unapproachable. Even more senior members of the department were easy to talk to, and anyone would be willing to chat to you whether you had a specific question or just wanted to catch up. The company culture and atmosphere as a whole felt very honest. Nobody pushed any unrealistic expectations or ideas onto you and it didn't feel overly corporate despite the size of the company as a whole, probably due to each department functioning kind of like its own independent piece of the bigger picture.

Absolutely loved it. There honestly wasn't a single day where I felt like I dreaded having to go in. The flexibility in working hours was good as it meant I could fit my schedule to a way that I wanted to structure my day. There's also plenty of infrastructure available for you depending on how you choose to get to work (e.g. car parks/bike racks + showers), meaning if you wanted to run or bike in one day you can shower etc. I think in general some of the nicest parts of the placement which made me feel comfortable were the extra things, such as the general company culture, the canteen being subsidised (which is a nice bonus), plenty of bike racks, nice office space and kitchens for making plenty of cups of tea/coffee.

Yes

As cliche as it may sound, an ability to learn is probably the most important aspect of working at MBDA. It doesn't matter your specific background or degree course etc., what's most important is an ability to problem solve and think logically, as well as being able to learn new techniques and try and work outside the box and outside your comfort zone. Being honest and confident certainly help, and it's important to make the most of it if you want your time to well spent/worthwhile, both for you and for the people you may end up working with.