ISV Undergraduate engineer Review

I really enjoyed it as it was very interesting and very enjoyable.

I felt like a full member of the team and there were times when my colleagues forgot that I was an undergraduate.

The team were really good and gave me as much support as I needed. There were times when the guys were busy but they still managed to find time to help me out. This was true of a whole range of people including those outside of my department.

I was kept quite busy during the later stages of my placement as it was coming to an important time on the project but most of the time there was plenty of work to be doing but it didn't feel like it was too much or that it encroached into my personal life.

I was given quite a lot of responsibility during my placement. Firstly I was asked to plan a trial that was receiving a lot of attention by the customer (UK MOD) which I undertook predominately by myself, with support when required. The next main job was planning how to build a missile at an overseas site, this included fitting explosives.

I received a lot of training from MBDA, included explosive safety, overhead crane licence, ESD training and hazardous material handling. This was in addition to the skills and knowledge that I gained from colleagues that has given me a great understanding on the design, testing and production cycle. These skills will be transferable to other industries as a lot of the principles are the same.

I had a great team to work with, as a result the atmosphere was great. We would regular have a chat and there was quite often a lot of laughter coming from our part of the office. It wasn't long before I felt a proper member of the team.

The placement was well organised. The company allocates the first 6 month placement within in one team and the 2nd six months is up to you to choose. This gives quite a lot of flexibility and freedom to do the work that you want to do.

The company spent a lot of time to have me in training courses and in task to develop me.

I should be offered a summer placement next year as I have another 2 years left of my degree. Following the summer placement it is quite likely I will be offered a place on the graduate scheme. The vast majority of graduates at MBDA have either done a summer placement or an undergraduate placement year.

There was a great social scene between the grads and undergrads, most Friday nights we would be out as a group. Most lunchtimes most of us would have lunch together in the staff canteen.

The cots were not too expensive considering the proximity to London.

The nightlife was fairly good, but if we wanted a change it is not difficult to get into London for a night out.

The company has sports and social club which has a lot of clubs which are easy to get into as well as the regular trips to west end shows. They also encourage involvement with the STEM ambassadors scheme which was very enjoyable.