Mechanical Engineering Placement Student Review

My internship was split into two 4 week placements, one in Leeds and one in Boston in the US. I enjoyed both however the work I was given in the US was the same as would have been given to a permanent junior engineer, therefore I really enjoyed the chance to complete some "real" work (rather than the usual 'donkey' work that Interns get) and to expand and go beyond my initial assignment.

My colleagues in both Leeds and Waltham (Boston, US) were extremely welcoming, whenever I had a problem or a query, or was simply curious about something they'd be happy to help; showing me how things were/should be done and speaking about a variety of topics I had not encountered before. In the US office my colleagues were very helpful, and if my initial ignorance of US procedures bothered them they certainly did not show it.

My managers were very supportive, always there to lend a hand if I needed it but never so close as to make me feel like they micro-managed people. I had frequent (but not too frequent) update meetings which ensured that both they and I knew what my objectives were, what had been achieved and what was going to be achieved over the following weeks.

Generally speaking unless I'm becoming stressed or losing sleep I don't think one can be "too busy" at work. The work I did kept me on my toes throughout the placement and I was never bored - I can't stand being bored at work, time just seems to drag on but that was not a problem in either of the offices I worked in.

In each office I was given an assignment and perhaps some pointers on how to carry out the assignment, however the ultimate choice as to how to complete it was up to me. I found this very liberating - it allowed me to use my programming skills to make some of the more monotonous tasks (for there are always some) less so whilst giving me sometimes quite challenging programming problems.

I received training in a number of proprietary programs which, should my future career lie in the power sector, will be extremely useful. Other skills were developed and honed on my own, I have significantly increased my proficiency with PYTHON and learned a great deal about version-tracking and management when developing software, I think these skills are universal and will certainly help me in the future.

The office atmosphere was generally quite light and friendly, but everyone knew what work needed to get done and no-one slacked off. If you wanted to grab a coffee that wasn't a problem, so long as your work was done at the end of the day - this was great as it allowed one to take a break when concentration levels were waning ultimately resulting in higher productivity.

National Grid were still undergoing the remnants of a major structural change in the UK business so the placements were not as well organised as they possibly could have been, however overall most things were ready when they were needed, and if they were not steps were quickly taken to rectify the problem.

Over the last few years NG has invested significant hours and capital into training me over various placements. I have honed existing skills and developed new ones and believe that as a result I will be a much stronger, more employable graduate than I would otherwise have been.

Depends a lot on what you want, the first year of the grad job is spent on shift which means a you end up working odd times and odd days

Due to the short length of my placement I invested most of my time in the assignment provided, including after-hours. Any socialising was done with friends I already had in Boston however I think had I been in the Boston office longer then I may have had more experience of the 'social scene'. In Leeds there was a significant age gap between myself and those in the office, therefore there was little in the way of after-hours social interaction.

As I said in the previous comment little socialising happened in Leeds, in Boston things were quite expensive but also great fun. The cost of renting for a short-term (6 weeks) however was very high, indeed the cost of the internship overall has been higher than initially anticipated.

Boston has a great nightlife scene, although this can sometimes be a problem as the crowds lead to long lines, so if you want to go clubbing make sure you head out early and remember your passport!

This depends on whether the opportunities need to be tied to work or not. If not then yes, plenty, I went to Canada (Montreal) and New York, I toured all around Boston and learned the history of the area. I went partying at night with friends I made years ago and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Connected with work there were various trips available, indeed on my last day I took part in a trip to the Sandy Pond HVDC inter-connector facility which receives power sent down from mostly hydro-electric sources in Canada.