Undergraduate Trainee in Product Development Review

An amazing experience. I was given access to beautiful cars and real life engineering projects on a daily basis although the variety and nature of the work was highly dependent on the department you were placed in. I'd recommend making any preferences or interests you have clear when being assigned a department so insure you have the best experience possible.

My department were all very friendly and welcoming and took generous amounts of time out of their busy schedules to being me up to speed in their specialist engineering areas. Despite being the only women in quite a large office I never felt out of place or was treated differently.

My manager was very busy but made it clear that he was also available to offer any help or guidance if needed. The rest of the department would take time out to answer any questions I had or explain any processes, theory or procedures when a problem arose. It took a few weeks to understand the work my department did but everyone was very helpful and patient.

This was highly dependent on the department you were placed in. I was given responsibility for my own project within the department. This project allowed me time to broaden my knowledge at a reasonable pace in the beginning but towards the end, as deadlines neared, the paced quickened dramatically. Despite the pressure the atmosphere and feedback from my colleagues was always positive.

I was given responsibility for a project which needed to correct a problem before a vehicle model could be released. This was the same sort of project the long-term members of my team worked on and allowed me to run my own testing, manage the project’s progression and make final recommendations to senior engineers and managers. This was the best possible scenario and I strongly recommend that any future placement students ask to be assigned their own project if it is not initially offered by their department.

Because I was in quite a technical department, the skills I learnt have already benefited me in several of my university modules. The most significant outcome of this experience was that I have gained practical experience and understand of what working in a world class automotive engineering firm is like and hope to pursue a career in this area.

There was a very friendly, chatty and inclusive atmosphere in my office but I know this can vary from department to department.

HR were very efficient, helpful, organised and always available to answer any questions interns might have. My only disappointment was that after the initial induction day there were no other organised undergraduate events of either a social(networking) or professional(training) nature.

This depended on the department you were based in and how willing your colleges were to train you. There were plenty of JLR courses(not undergraduate specific) that we were welcome to attend (with permission from your manager) but it was general up to you to find them and organise it.

Very appealing. JLR is expanding rapidly and once you have received a positive review for you manager you are immediately welcomed back for a subsequent summer placement or fast-tracked to a graduate scheme interview if returning to university for your final year.

This depended on where you lived/stayed during the placement and how close you were to other placement students. We were all added to a JLR undergraduate facebook page and used this to organise initial events and get to know each other. Because we had to organise our own accommodation, 30 of us ended up living in student halls together and the social scene was great..

Because we were based in the mid-lands, the cost of living and socialising was very reasonable especially compared to London and other large cities.

Birmingham had a great nightlife. Coventry and Leamington Spa (were most placement students lived) were reasonable but not great, especially outside university term time.

We organised any activities ourselves.