Software engineer Review
by Metaswitch Networks
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
4.3
-
The Company
4.1
-
The Culture
3.6
- 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
Very enjoyable. No-one is trying to get one up on anybody else, so everyone is very friendly and helpful. The work is interesting, varied and challenging. At times, I was a little frustrated with my progress on certain tasks, but that's due to traits of my own rather than unhelpfulness on anyone else's part.
I was, obviously, far less experienced than any of my colleagues, but at no point did I feel that anyone was irritated at having to help me. In fact, everyone was more than happy to take the time to go through something with me.
I was never left to struggle on my own - there was always help available, and my mentor had in fact allocated a certain amount of his time each week to dedicate to developing me, so I was never encroaching on his own work time.
I was never short of work to do, put it that way! There was always another task I could move onto if I finished my current one or temporarily got blocked. on it.
I was solely responsible for the development of the tool I was working on - no-one else was working on it.
All the skills I have picked up and developed during my time here are completely transferable to similar lines of work, and will be invaluable in any future role in software.
The Company
Very relaxed and friendly - everyone knew everyone else well, and there were always people wandering around and chatting to others at their desks about problems/issues they had had. There were also a significant number of people with NERF guns at their desks, though I never did get to see them being used...
Everything was ready before I arrived and very well organised.
Another member of my team was given the role of mentoring me, and set aside some time each week to focus on my development. This is standard practice for interns and new starters here, and it works very well.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
Company Parties/Events
Very appealing! I'm currently waiting to hear back to see if I have a job offer.
The Culture
Parties at other interns' houses, regular pub lunches, and a generally good sense of family amongst the interns. There were also drinks at the pub with colleagues on any Monday when someone new started, and drinks on a Friday whenever anybody left.
Pretty average for around London.
No idea. I didn't go out.
There are dozens of morale activities that take place at lunch or after work - absolutely no shortage of things to get involved in.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
September 2014
