Systems Engineering Placement Student Review

by Caterpillar

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.6/5
  • The Role
    3.8
  • The Company
    3.3
  • The Culture
    3.8

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • A lot of interesting and new experiences with some repetitive tasks in the later months. Then again, all tasks were genuine and made a difference to the project, I was never making the tea.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • I felt very valued by my project group, team and manager. The team dynamic was the highlight of the placement.

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • Support was always available when I needed it, and was always friendly.

    4/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • Fairly busy, with some quiet and busy periods, but this averaged out towards the end of the placement.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I felt I was given a good amount of responsibility. I was in-charge of some processes, and worked with outside business partners without any other Caterpillar employees at times.

    3/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • Being part of a real project team and seeing the planning and processes has been helpful for my university course works and projects. The technical training somewhat lines up with my course, while electrical testing and troubleshooting skills will be useful every day.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • Everyone was friendly, especially within project groups and my own team.

    4/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • I thought there was a good balance of structure and freedom. Once assigned to a project team I mostly did what was required of me within that team, and I feel that is a more genuine workplace experience.

    4/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • There was a lot of safety and process training, while technical training was mostly on the job.

    4/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Company Parties/Events
    1/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • No official offers were made, although it was made clear that I would be strongly preferred if I were to apply for the graduate scheme as the placement year is like a year long interview, and I have already received a years worth of training and experience on the job.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • There was a good social scene, although I personally away most weekends. I lived with the other placement students in my department.

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Cheap, very cheap. I lived with other placement students in a village outside of the town centre in a new-build house for less than my much smaller university accommodation.

    5/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Again, I was away for many weekends but I know there are several nightclubs and many pubs in town and the surrounding villages.

    4/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • There was volunteering at local schools and some sports activities organised through work.

    3/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Computer Systems Engineering

East of England

October 2014

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