Design Engineer Review

by Caterpillar

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

Rating

3.9/5
  • The Role
    4.3
  • The Company
    3.6
  • The Culture
    3.6

    The Role

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

    • I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Caterpillar. From the first day I was given new an interesting tasks and projects.

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

    • Throughout my placement I found it easy to gain support when I was struggling. Everyone was very helpful which enabled me to learn a wide variety of the Company's processes. Being given real project work through out the year also helped me feel valued.

    4/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • I was fortunate to experience two mangers whilst on placement at Caterpillar. Both arranged monthly 1 to 1 meetings to review how I was getting on and if I had any issues. Outside these meetings I worked with them both on several projects, this I found very useful as I could experience how mangers dealt with tricky situations. They were both very approachable and were happy to help if I needed anything.

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

    • Pretty much from the start I had plenty of work to do. I was constantly given new tasks to complete which urged me to keep on track and up to date.

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

    • As soon as I had been trained on the relevant company programs, I was immediately given complex and demanding tasks. As the year progressed, I was given more and more responsibility by being introduced to new intricate design tasks.

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

    • Working as a design engineer helped me to progress my CAD skills on a different CAD package that I was not used to. With the training and experience I received, I hope this will strengthen any future designs I may develop. Working for such a large company meant I was constantly involved with different people around the world. This developed my ability to work as a team and to manage different personalities and skills.

    5/5

    The Company

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

    • Great! Large desks with plenty of room to spread any project work out was ideal. Surrounded by teammates I very rarely found I had a boring day.

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

    • I received a checklist at the start of the placement of tasks I had to complete to get me used to the Company's processes. I was then given work that would challenge me but that I could complete of increasing complexity throughout the year.

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

    • I received extensive safety, team building and technical training throughout the year. I developed many skills in particular working with others to complete group projects.

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

    • National Travel

    Financial Bonus

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • I received a condition offer for employment on completion of my masters degree.

    4/5

    The Culture

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

    • The company organised various things for the placements that helped us get to know one and other. I also lived with 4 of the placements so had a great social life.

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

    • Peterborough has very cheap housing so we managed to get a fairly big detached house for a great price. Not massive amounts of things to do in Peterborough, however there are plenty of things to do in neighboring towns/cities.

    4/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Nothing special, but not too bad. Couple of good pubs that made up for it.

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

    • Various company activities were organised to help with networking. Loads of graduates there so most of the time they organised things to do.

    4/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Engineering, Product Design

East Midlands

November 2014

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