Advanced Engineering Design Review

I have found my placement extremely satisfying with work that covers a wide skillbase. There is a clear project development and it is nice to look back and see how your input has directly improved the product.

I would hope that I am a useful member of the team and can be trusted to work at the same standards as the longer-term employees. Of course there are still some issues but I am getting better at fixing things myself.

Everyone in the department has been extremely supportive and eager to help with any issues that have come up. Most are happy to give guidance and training at the drop of a hat.

There is certainly enough work to keep me occupied, covering a wide area of skills. However the project is fairly 'linear' in that we tend to work on one aspect at a time, meaning that if someone already has a job covered there may not be much other work to be done.

I was given real work within my first week and trained to operate independantly. I am now trusted to gather and interpret full sets of experimental data, which then carries a direct impact on the project as a whole.

I have covered a great deal of practical/technical skills including machine operation, engine workings and assembly equipment. I have also been introduced to working or writing basic macros and multiple different tools for analysing or presenting data.

I often work in an office, so fun wasn't exactly expected. That said I get on very well with my colleagues and often talk or joke while working. As long as the work is done, people seem happy to have a bit of a laugh.

Delphi has a history of offering work placements and so they already had a system set up in terms of work and training. I was essentially replacing a student rfom the previous year and worked very closely with him before he left in order to learn the key skills needed from me.

I have been given a great deal of training and access to some very expensive bits of kit. I am aslo trusted with confidential data and I believe that Delphi made a very significant contribution to the YINI scheme on my behalf.

If I were offered a job at the end of my placement, I would be extremely tempted to take it. I enjoy the work and my team is great. The only potential issue is the location as it is quite far from my old friends and family.

While I get on very well with the other placement students, we do not currently see each other out of work.

My rent is currently £350/m for what is really intended as student accomodation. I would consider it a nice house, although it is about 3.5miles from work. There is a Tesco literally down the road and so food costs are never an issue.

I am normally very tired after work and tend to stay at home for the evenings. I also don't really like nightclubs and so have not made any effort to experience the local ones.

Delphi offers a cheap membership to a local gym, and so that tends to get a lot of use. There is also a cider festival held each year which tends to draw a lot of people out!