PD Intern - Research Review

This is my second placement with JLR in a department I specifically requested when I was here last year. It's been really enjoyable; I'm working on a very interesting project and am in a friendly office where there are plenty of other young engineers to have a chat and tea break with!

Because I'm working on my own research project I don't interact with my colleagues as much as previous placements. However, I am always quick to offer help with anything my colleagues are working on should they need it and this is always very appreciated.

I'm left to get on with my project an awful lot of the time - however I knew that this would be the case as I met with my manager last year to discuss what my role would be based around. I can ask questions whenever I need and certainly wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Sometimes things were really quiet in the office and if noting was going on I would just work on my research all day - something which can get quite boring. It would be good to have a few more side tasks to be getting on with to help fill the day.

It's difficult to tell yet how much business impact my project will have - however I do hope it will prompt some business conversations at high levels. In terms of immediate impact I don't have any responsibility to deliver. Some of the side tasks I have done though have involved producing data sets and graphs used in the most senior meetings possible, so in that respect I have a responsibility to arm my manager with the most up to date and correct information as quickly as possible (even up to the night before at times!)

This placement feels much more like a university project than a business role, but I think that's a departmental thing, so there isn't much corporate stuff like holding meetings (something I did a lot more of last year) so I don't feel my business skills have improved. However, my technical knowledge of my area and my understanding of concepts surrounding research projects such as competitor intelligence, marketing, finance etc has really improved. I would definitely feel prepared to take on a permanent research role.

Quiet at times but generally a good mix of young engineers to chat to/eat lunch with and more experienced engineers to get some good business insight from.

The project I was supposed to be working on got closed off shortly before I started, so it wasn't immediately clear what I would be doing, but after a few days of meetings and talking with my manager we defined a project which has lasted me all summer.

On this particular placement I haven't done any training, however as a continuation of my involvement with the company I still have regular meetings with my mentor and there is a lot of optional training/work-life balance events to help improve your skillset.

I still have two more years at uni; I will be back for another placement next summer and subject to a mini assessment/technical presentation I will hopefully be offered a place on the grad scheme. It is very likely I would accept such an offer.

I live at home and commute but many undergrads are living together in halls - I know they go out a lot but they organise that themselves. We do have a facebook page set up by the company for us to all get in contact before and during our placement, which is really helpful for accommodation and then sorting out nights out.

Living at home so cheap for me, but the midlands is generally a cheap area to live anyway. Depends on what you like to do to socialise I guess.

Lots of nice pubs and bars in Leamington, not a big fan of Coventry. Leam is very popular with Warwick students so you can have a standard student night out for people into that.

The team I worked with last year invited me back for their (two!) Christmas parties, as well as taking me out while I was on placement, and I'm going on another social with them this summer. I don't think it will be the same this year due to the solitary nature of my work. More generally there are company societies like photography and horse riding etc so there is a lot going on if you look for it.