Undergraduate Placement Review
by JLR
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
3.2
-
The Company
2.7
-
The Culture
1.8
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
Was enjoyable and gained a lot of industry knowledge. As an engineering student I feel like I could've gained more from the placement if I was based in a more engineering-focused department instead of at a manufacturing site.
My manager and his manager were very welcoming. The majority of my colleagues were really friendly and out-going towards me.
Somewhat supported. Felt like I didn't want to ask for support too much as they are both always very busy but often felt like I was on the back burner.
Variable. Some days I had loads of things to be getting on with, other days I was shadowing and the day felt quite slow.
For most of my placement so far I have been working with different people on their tasks so it would not have been appropriate for me to have been given too much responsibility. I spent 2 days at Gaydon in SVO which was a highlight so far, as I was given plenty of things to do, had responsibilities, and felt like I was being useful.
Learnt a lot about the industry and its workings. Also learnt the importance of designing for ease-of-manufacture. Benefited from working in a professional environment. Would have like more engineering experience to help me make future course decisions at uni.
The Company
Generally lively. Wasn't really an office based internship but people I met were usually talkative and pleasant.
Just over half way so things may change but my manager has mentioned frequently about placing me for a week each in a couple of different departments which has not yet happened. My main issue is that where I am based (Solihull plant), shut down for 2 weeks in the middle of my placement and I wasn't made aware of this before starting, and no alternatives were made for me during the shutdown. Luckily my uni gave me a list of alumni working at JLR so I made my own arrangements within JLR for the shutdown period.
I have effectively been trained up to be an auditor. Don't feel like I have gained many transferable skills
I don't think I want to work in automotive, but if I did then then it would be a great company to work for. The grad scheme sounds well planned and a valuable experience. Would not want to work full time in the department I was placed in.
The Culture
I am living at home during my placment and out of 140ish students on placement, only around 4 are at Solihull, of which I have spoken to 1. As such I haven't been involved at all in any potential social scene.
Lived at home in Wolverhampton so social activities were with school friends etc at usual prices to what I'd expect.
Wolverhampton is dire, Birmingham is a good night out.
In the department I've mainly been based at I am the youngest by 25+ years.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
West Midlands
August 2014
