Placement Year Review at Cummins

The Role

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

★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 2/10

I used little experience gained from university, although a good experience from a business environment, very boring at times, due to the content of the job role.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

I was involved in a number of projects where i was treated as a fully qualified member of the organisation. I had tasks of equal improtance as other members of group work, and treated as an equal most of the time.

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

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

My projects all took a long time to complete due to the nature of the company and its markets. Therefore i worked on a number of projects simaltaniously. Sometimes the work involved was tedious but neccesary, but there was plenty to do to keep me busy.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The projects that i was given were dedicated almost entirely to me to act upon and make decisions, so responsibility was quite high. Some of the jobs I worked on were not of the highest priority, but that was based on my experience of the company.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Although i didnt use many skills gained from university work, I developed my presentation, organisation/documentation skills, understanding of a company structure and teamworking skills. These will help me throughout my remaining university courses and my career afterwards.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Friendly and relaxed. I was comfortable to ask anyone of a specific dicipline within the company for advice or help, and i would usually get it with no problems.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Friendly and relaxed. I was comfortable to ask anyone of a specific dicipline within the company for advice or help, and i would usually get it with no problems.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I recieved training at the beginning of the placement, i had a number of projects of varying importance setup for me to work on, and i had scheduled meetings with an IMechE tutor who helped me document my placement year work.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

a number of useful training sessions were used at the beginning of the year, including all of the standard health & safety training etc.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Above 25 days holiday

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

From my perspective people worked for many years in the same job without progressing to a new level with greater responsibilities. Some people moved to a number of jobs, but very few of them were i.e management roles, merely moving to different departments. It seemed to me difficult to gain a managerial role at the company, based on its structure.

Other Information

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

★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 2/10

We managed to spend 2 weeks with the previous placement students, who had all bonded very well, and are still in close contact with eachother. My year on placement was quite opposite. At the beginning a number of people would gather for social events, but as the year wore on, the groups became smaller, based on different interests. I didnt meet with many other students, instead met with my current friends from home at university on weekends sometimes instead.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

I started in an expensive 2 man flat, then 1/2 way through the placement moved into a much cheaper 4 bed house. Socialising was average price, but i chose not to do it much where i was living. Instead i spend more money travelling home or to see friends.

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

★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 2/10

Daventry is pretty poor to put it kindly. I went out once the whole year. Birmingham is much better, but again i chose not to visit there to much, because of the company attending.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

There was a gym which i attended for 5 months, but some students played for the companys football team, others played golf.. some even did dancing classes in Northampton. There is plenty to do if you want to spend the money, as its not to far away.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

I value to experience i gained, and am glad i did it.... but it was quite a misserable year, based on the location, most of the work content, bordom and some of the students i worked with were not my chosen company. I mostly wished my time away.. but thats apart of working full time...
That said I would recommend placement, as its a different experience for everyone.

Review 91/94 for Cummins

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