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

4.3/5
  • The Role
    4.3
  • The Company
    4.5
  • The Culture
    3.9

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • I really enjoyed my summer at Metaswitch - the people were fantastic, the work was good fun, and the company atmosphere was great!

    5/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • My colleagues were really great at making me feel like I was part of the team, and the work that I was doing was something that would actually be useful - e.g. a week after I submitted my first project, I was emailed by the people in the company using it to tell me about how they'd been using it to generate revenue for the company!

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • My mentor was always there to support me and answer any questions I had, sometimes even before I'd asked them. My manager was also excellent at making sure that I always had something to do.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • I never felt like I was too busy (it helped that I was allowed to pretty much set my own 'deadlines') but if I looked like I was starting to get bored my manager would check up on me to make sure that I had things to do, and if I didn't then he'd give me something to keep me busy..

    5/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • 4/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • Probably won't be super helpful for my Maths Degree, but programming is a very useful skill to have

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • The atmosphere in the office were amazing - everyone was so warm and friendly and relaxed. The frequent trips to the pub and weekly badminton helped at getting to know everyone.

    5/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • Metaswitch tends to take on about 30 interns every year, and over the years they've refined the program and ironed out all of the kinks. Every year they hold an in depth feedback session and use the feedback to try and improve the experience for the next year's interns (although I didn't really have anything to say at mine because I couldn't think of anything to complain about!)

    5/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • I spent about 2 hours every day during the first half of my internship just reading about Perl, and my manager was keen to set me tasks (which were actually useful things rather than exercises) that would test the skills that I learnt from my reading, so I could try and apply the theoretical knowledge that I learned. I felt like my manager and team really took an interest in my development, which was great.

    5/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    Financial Bonus

    Company Parties/Events
    5/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • They've offered me another internship next summer and a second interview for if I'd like to work for them as a graduate (although I get the impression the interview is more of a formality than anything else)

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • Metaswitch offered me a (very subsidised) company house, which meant I lived with 7 other interns. Though at first I was worried it might get a bit crowded, it ended up being just the right amount of lively, and our house gelled together really well. Additionally, the interns often had lunch (either in the canteen or at a pub) together, and we went out several times as well.

    5/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Enfield is quite cheap (being outside of central London), but not extraordinarily so.

    4/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Apparently there's a club around somewhere or something...

    3/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • There were loads of sports clubs and things going on - I played badminton every week.

    5/5
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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

September 2012

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