Placement Year Review at NATS

The Role

Role Description

I am currently working on software development in Centres Assest Engineering. I am designing and implementing a piece of software which allows the Installation team to simulate different power failure scenarios at the new Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre. In my second 6 months I will be working in the Simulators and Contingency department.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The company has been a joy to work for. There is a fantastic balance of work and social commitments. I also felt that I was contributing genuinely to the business.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My colleagues have been very welcoming and are very appreciative of the contribution I have been making for the company.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was assigned a mentor who has guided me through general areas of my career development by giving me valuable knowledge of his experience. My managers have been very supportive and are very understanding of my relative inexperience.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

This is probably the best part of working for NATS. You are expected to work hard obviously, but you do not have to take your work home with you or work antisocial hours.

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

I was given a fair amount of responsibility, however it was understandable that I was not given too much responsibility since the business is a safety-critical one i.e. the success of the business is affected by how safe we can make air travel. The graduates and placement students are giving enough responsibility to look after certain aspects of the graduate and placement schemes.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I have learnt a new programming language during my time here which opens up more avenues for my final year dissertation. I also have a better idea of which modules I can choose in my final year at university. Beyond this, I have gained a lot of knowledge about how to develop my career in the future. This was given by a series of different presentations from senior managers.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Fantastic... Faaantastic!! That's all I have to say. Great fun, but serious when required.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

In general the scheme has been well organised. However, we have regular meetings with the co-ordinator where we put forward suggestions for improvement so the scheme is constantly improving.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There have been a number of different presentations regarding career development. I also have a mentor assigned to me who helps at a 1:1 personal level.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

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

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

It is always far more appealing for a company to employ someone who they already know since they don't have to spend extra money on recruitment drives. A significant number of placement students return on the graduate scheme.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

We have a very close friend base amongst the placement students and graduates. We regularly have social events such as bowling, pub lunches, go-karting which have allowed us to flourish as a group.

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

Whiteley is not the cheapest of areas, however it is not unaffordable. Typical rent is around £400 pcm.

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

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

Whiteley itself is a small village in the Hampshire countryside. So it is very quiet at night. Most of the nightlife is located in Portsmouth and Southampton which are not too far and have a whole host of quality bars and clubs.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The sports and social club have a whole host of activities for just 30pence a month!! There are teams for virtually any sport you can name.

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?

This company offers a very different industry. We have had visits to the new Heathrow Control Tower. The industry is quite unique and is extremely interesting.

Review 1/10 for NATS

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