Software engineer Review
by Metaswitch Networks
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
4.7
-
The Company
4.4
-
The Culture
4.0
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I enjoyed my internship at Metaswitch Networks very much; from the beginning I was given serious tasks and projects to focus on and the task-oriented approach was quite good for me. There were also many recreational activities which were fun outside working time.
People at the company are very friendly to you whether you're a full-time employee or an intern, and employee events (e.g. cake days) are always filled with friendly conversation.
I had a mentor and a manager; my manager was instructed me over the ins and outs of the company and the software development process, and my mentor was there to help me should any technical problems arise. It was a very good combination.
As said before, very much appreciated the task-oriented approach. The deadlines weren't hard, but I felt the need to keep up with my own estimates of progress. Even if a task finished early, there was always something to work on.
I was writing code from day 1 - as were the other interns I met at the company - so had a good ride. The code written by the interns are also used by the company so there's a sense of achievement.
Computing is a very useful skill to have and to have worked at Metaswitch will be useful for anyone working in a technology-related area.
The Company
We had quite a light atmosphere, everyone was friendly whether they knew you or otherwise.
Metaswitch have plenty of experience with internships, and by now they have a streamlined process which works very well, from recruitment to working in the internship itself.
My team was always willing to help me with any technical details I didn't know about; a lot of on-the-job training was given.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Metaswitch invite many interns back at the end of their placement, which is always good. Penultimate-year students can also get graduate job interviews at the end of it.
The Culture
The interns were all very sociable, and we have plenty of social events to keep occupied.
Enfield is not in central London, so the prices are accordingly not nearly as ridiculous. There was a company house so living wasn't expensive either.
There are lots of pubs/pub events in Enfield, as far as I know.
Enfield is a small town so there's not much to do within the place itself; however, the company did have plenty of recreational activities to get involved in.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
August 2012
