Engineering (Air Handling) Summer Placement Review

It took me at least a couple of weeks to settle in but after that I really enjoyed my experience overall. Whilst I was put in a department that was of little relevance to the area I was interested in, the support from my workgroup and other colleagues was very welcome and it was clear they tried their best to make me feel comfortable. I was able to gain a lot of experience from the design/technical engineer's perspective which has given me an entirely different perspective to the area I'm interested in and this can only aid my future career.

My supervisors clearly knew I was arriving and I arrived at my desk with essential items such as a laptop in place. Anything that was missing was sorted out immediately and I had a year placement student support me which was nice working with someone who had been through the same thing as I did not too long ago. My colleagues were very supportive throughout and gave me plenty of freedom and space to work on my own whilst being available when any questions arose. They were all clearly busy enough with their own work but were always able to help me or find someone else to help me when needed. They knew that their department was a completely unfamiliar one to me yet persevered to support me and were very understanding that this was the case, even trying to find a time for me to spend in the departments I was interested in.

It took me a few weeks before I felt comfortable as I was placed in a department that was entirely different to the area I was interested in, however this was possibly due to my application to the company being quite late and most of the 15 summer placement allocations had been made already, which is understandable. My supervisor was incredibly busy but it was clear that he did his utmost to accommodate me and we were both very understanding about this, as well as the fact that I was placed in a role very different to one that I requested. Even when my supervisor was busy or unavailable he was able to direct me to other colleagues rather so that I didn't need to sit around. Having said this he gave me plenty of space so I could manage my workload independently. My supervisor was also able to arrange a day for me to visit and shadow my desired department and I extremely enjoyed it. It really made my day as to how helpful the staff are and they the consensus is that they want you to get the most out of your placement and enjoy it. Don't be afraid to let them know if there's a department you're interested in as they know it will only add value to your experience!

This varied from day to day. I was initially a bit overwhelmed by the work given to me as I had no experience of the role before, but this kept me busy and as the work was mostly long-term, I was able to adjust my workload easily. During July and early August, many colleagues were away on holiday but this was completely understandable given the majority had children in school. Even then they made sure I had the resources available before they went away. Towards the end of August/September I was attending a number of courses and had a project that was growing in size, yet I was nearing the end of my placement. This was challenging but at the same time quite an interesting and realistic scenario to experience and I have learned a lot from doing the work that I did.

My supervisors and colleagues were always there to help, yet they gave me plenty of space for me to work on my own accord. I made presentations to other design teams and was heavily involved in a project that reported to the factory in China, presenting my research to the Chinese team in a teleconference. I also took responsibility for assisting new placements in settling into the department. Given that I was only there for 10 weeks in a department I was completely unfamiliar with, the time needed to train me and take on high-level projects would have taken weeks in the first place, especially as many of the projects were long-term ones. This was completely understandable and did not detract from my experience.

The company was equally supportive of summer and year placement students. I was allowed to go on all the courses that I was interested in, which were for all staff in the Engineering Department. This really help me feel valued and my group members encouraged me to go on any courses of relevance to my degree as well as those relevant to the group I was placed in. Even though I went to the courses as a placement student I was always treated like any other full-time engineer. Courses included Six Sigma training, Design for Manufacture have really helped boost my understanding of modules I am currently studying and 'Product Knowledge' courses boosted my understanding of the products the company makes.

Relaxed yet focussed. Most colleagues on the floor were happy to have a chat and plenty of light-hearted fun was had. Many were eager to chat to us and make us feel welcome and they also shared their experiences openly.

Although I had no clue as to what exact group I was to be placed in, all my essential work items such as my laptop and desk were prepared for me before my arrival. The odd software issue was not a big deal as it tends to happen anywhere and it was clear that my supervisors had prepared for my arrival. Projects came up as time passed but there were always tasks to do. I was introduced to other placement students and was invited to volunteer in the company's community support programme hours after my arrival.

Clearly the company invested a lot in me to ensure that I could have the best experience possible. It was great to be able to go on the same training courses offered to full time staff and still be treated just like any other engineer in them. They care just as much about placements' wellbeing as they do about their regular staff.

Very appealing. I liked the location in Huddersfield, being right in the middle of Manchester and Leeds. I also really liked the warm attitude of all the staff and supervisors I met, who clearly made me feel at home. The corporate culture is not as significant in Huddersfield as it was originally a British company bought out by Cummins so there is still a sense of pride and ownership in what people did.

Plenty of social activities and sports groups amongst the company. I happened to start when most of the year placements started so I managed to have good ties in their friendship group. Other summer placements who started earlier tended to hang around with their department staff and I ended up doing more with the summer placements too. However I'm still in contact with the year placements. Regular socials were organised either by the Sports and Social Club or by other placement students. Living in Huddersfield meant that you had a choice of going to Manchester or Leeds and with Huddersfield being a fairly large town with a university there were still a few decent places to go.

Being in the North it's very affordable. Cheaper than the Midlands and much cheaper than the South! Can't say much more other than it's the North.

Being a town the Nightlife isn't going to be anywhere like a city. But having said that Huddersfield has a university and combined with that fact that it's in the North, there's still a number of pubs and clubs. It's also no more than 30 minutes away from Leeds and 40 from Manchester!

Working in a company with over 1000 employees on site means that you're likely to find people who share your hobbies and interests. Plenty of sports and extra-curricular activities to get involved in, especially with 2 big cities on either side. Cummins also has a community development scheme which is great fun and you get to meet different people and get involved with other locals. I spent some time volunteering in a school STEM project which is very rewarding.