Industrial Placement Student Review

I really enjoyed my placement at Atkins, it's a great company. Pretty much everyone I worked with or got to know was really friendly and there is a good graduate community within the company that means integrating with people close to your own age is easy. The office environment was really nice and there were plenty of good socials and stuff to get involved in outside of work. The work was interesting (75% of the time) and I learnt more than I thought I could in a year!

I always felt part of the team when I was working on a day to day basis and was treated just like any graduate level employee. Atkins is very open to its empoyees about it's successes and developments so you are made to feel like a generally valued contributor the company as a whole.

Support is one thing that Atkins really knows how to do well. There is always someone who is able to help you or point you in the right direction and asking for help is welcomed more than anything, everyone is there to help eachother. I had a quarterly Personal Development Review just like all permanent employees which was helpful in terms of positive feedback and encouragement.

It was peaks and troughs. Some weeks I would have A LOT to do and be working flat out / a little stressed. Some weeks could be pretty quiet and I would be looking to take more work on to keep me busy. But overall it was a manageable and steady level of work.

I was definitely given a lot of responsibilty on the projects I worked on, which involved a lot of dealing with clients face to face on a regular / weekly basis and signing off your work to be delivered! The longer I was working on a project and the more involved I became I would be given more responsbility and larger tasks to tackle.

I've definitely had an invaluable insight and learnt a lot about the industry and major companies within it, not just through working for Atkins but also the clients they deal with. I didn't recieve a lot of training but you learn on the job really. This year has helped me to develop a lot of skills that will help my final year of study and undoubtedly boost my employment prospects afterwards.

The office atmosphere was much nicer than I had expected, in a modern building and with great facilities. It was open space and sociable with plenty of snacks going round!

There isn't a standard format for placements really except the new starter / introductory stuff. I had no idea what I was going to be doing on my first day, except where to go and when, but straight away I was put on a project that really suited my past experiences and studies. It depends on the kind of work that is on-going but there is just about enough variety to ensure everyone rotates and gets to work on a variety of things.

Atkins definitely invests heavily in the development of its employees. You go through an all expenses paid Induction day when you start and are given all the information / guidance you need to ensure that you steer your development in the direction you would like. Training opportunities are there but they are not easily given, more on a need-for-the-job basis.

I recieved recognition for my efforts throughout the year including a pay rise and have developed friendly / professional ties within the company which should help me when applying for the grad-scheme, although not guaranteed of course!

There is a strong grad community that placement students are a part of and plenty of informal socials including free beer and pizza every last friday of the month.

Living is cheap if youre near the office but most people live in the centre of Bristol which is more lively but a bit more expensive to live / go out.

Bristol has a night out for everyone.

There are plenty of charity / fundraising activites outside of work or just social ones for fun. The sports day and dragon boat race were highlights.