Product Development Intern Review

Above all, this internship has been a valuable experience. Through sheer luck I was assigned to a relatively busy and involving department enabling me to engage in various activities and my manager was flexible enough to allow me to experience life outside the department with trips to the factory (Solihull) and testing with other departments. I had to give up 12 weeks of my summer to work at JLR and now, near the end of it all, I can say I do not regret my decision to come here.

My official manager leads a very busy life, as do most of the members of my team, so I was supervised by Technical Specialists and Project Engineers. They gave me work that they were working on and responsible for and I felt what I was doing was making a difference to them and the company (although some more then others) but all of the work that I did was stuff that needed to be done and not just created to keep me busy.

The people in my department are very busy, their calendars is full of meetings so most of the time I was left to work by myself. However this is not really a complaint, at the start my supervisor showed me everything I needed to know and explained the structure of the company. Whoever I was working with/for, they always set aside time to explain to me about the task and are always welcoming in answering my questions when they are available.

Initially it took some time to settle in but that was to be expected, but once I got going I was given work to do independently and at points ran several projects simultaneously. Near the end of the placement work load has gone down (hence I have time to write this review) but this is due to not wanting to leave the company mid-way through a project. My work included organising and performing trials for the department, data analysis with excel and minitab, creating presentations and generally assisting other engineers.

It was surprising how much they trust my work! Obviously I wasn’t making great decisions but the work I did involve things needed to pass design gateways for future vehicles, benchmarking to alter existing design rules as well as give recommendations for the future direction of the department. Also, I gave a presentation on my findings on a project I had been working on for many weeks to managers and director of chassis (unknowingly at the time) so I guess my work was important enough for him to listen to.

If I was to answer the question specifically, then it has to be said this placement hasn’t helped me directly with my degree. When I came here I was hoping to learn and practice my skills with CAD and CAE but this was not the case as I found out a lot of this type of work is outsourced and the rest that needs to be done is done by a specific group of people who are experts in their fields. Coming from an aero degree background, I was sceptical about being placed in chassis however within my time here I learn other skills that are important to my academic and personal development. More importantly the experience I have gained gave me what it was like working in a big engineering company and gave me a better idea of what I want to do in the future. Gain of experience and knowledge that is unavailable within a class room environment.

The relationship people shared within departments vary but the one I shared was better described as professional but friendly. The team didn’t seem to socialise together after work, and to be fair many have their own families already as well as the need to work overtime. But during work they are friendly and I can ask them question and generally have a chat. The general atmosphere in GDEC is of an open office nature so a bit of buzz and nothing too formal and silent.

This really depends on your manager and department. I would not say my 12 weeks there was planned from the start, my work depended on what needed to be done at the time however this is not a complaint just a statement. Most things worked (for me anyway) and fortunately I had my own desk and computer which is not a given due to the expanding nature of the company.

The company has funding for you to develop yourself but I did not use it because I was very busy for 10 out of the 12 weeks but it is available so especially useful for 12monthers or longer. The funding can be used for work related or just fun activities like Land Rover Experience (I have been told). There is online activities which was good for the first few days when I was settling in and you can learn about the company.

To be honest, my respect for the company grew hugely after being with them during the summer. I have never fully appreciated their products but now I would seriously consider owning one in the future if I have the money. JLR is an exciting prospect and their growth in recent years is a great success story not only to UK automotive industry but UK economy in general. The company is doing very well with a competitive product line up, growing international reputation in order to facilitate this growth they are investing and hiring heavily. This year along saw 270 Graduates coming in and there were around 50+ undergrads so lots of opportunity. JLR is a very good company to work for, arguably the best automotive company in the UK, amongst the best in engineering. Their grad scheme seems very good and I would consider them seriously for my future prospects.

I think one of the main reasons I enjoyed my placement was the fact so many interns lived in the same place (Liberty Park, Cov). We shared flats in halls type accommodation and it is just like fresher’s year (without the midweek craziness). Everyone was friendly and there’s trip to the local pub, cinema, Kasbah, Leamington etc etc. Loads of opportunities if you wanted them.

Coventry (Midlands) is generally quite reasonable. Rent at Liberty is discounted and if you pay in advance there’s further discount (£80 odd a week including all bills). Food and drinks at the company is reasonable (£4-5 for a proper decent lunch).

There is something going on every weekend and anyone is invited. Usually organised via fb. Pretty standard bars and clubs.

There’s something for everyone, if you look for it there’s opportunities for tennis, squash, gym, football etc.