Placement Year Review at MBDA

The Role

Role Description

I was involved in testing missile systems. This gave a wide variety of tasks involving writing specification and reports to preparing hardware to conducting testing. I undertook several site visits included 4 days at a site in Sweden. I spent a lot of time working with colleagues in different departments to conduct the trials which gave me a good overview of the whole design and testing process.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I really enjoyed it as it was very interesting and very enjoyable.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I felt like a full member of the team and there were times when my colleagues forgot that I was an undergraduate.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The team were really good and gave me as much support as I needed. There were times when the guys were busy but they still managed to find time to help me out. This was true of a whole range of people including those outside of my department.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was kept quite busy during the later stages of my placement as it was coming to an important time on the project but most of the time there was plenty of work to be doing but it didn't feel like it was too much or that it encroached into my personal life.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was given quite a lot of responsibility during my placement. Firstly I was asked to plan a trial that was receiving a lot of attention by the customer (UK MOD) which I undertook predominately by myself, with support when required. The next main job was planning how to build a missile at an overseas site, this included fitting explosives.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I received a lot of training from MBDA, included explosive safety, overhead crane licence, ESD training and hazardous material handling. This was in addition to the skills and knowledge that I gained from colleagues that has given me a great understanding on the design, testing and production cycle. These skills will be transferable to other industries as a lot of the principles are the same.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I had a great team to work with, as a result the atmosphere was great. We would regular have a chat and there was quite often a lot of laughter coming from our part of the office. It wasn't long before I felt a proper member of the team.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The placement was well organised. The company allocates the first 6 month placement within in one team and the 2nd six months is up to you to choose. This gives quite a lot of flexibility and freedom to do the work that you want to do.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The company spent a lot of time to have me in training courses and in task to develop me.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• National Travel
• International Travel
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events
• Above 25 days holiday

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I should be offered a summer placement next year as I have another 2 years left of my degree. Following the summer placement it is quite likely I will be offered a place on the graduate scheme. The vast majority of graduates at MBDA have either done a summer placement or an undergraduate placement year.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

There was a great social scene between the grads and undergrads, most Friday nights we would be out as a group. Most lunchtimes most of us would have lunch together in the staff canteen.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The cots were not too expensive considering the proximity to London.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The nightlife was fairly good, but if we wanted a change it is not difficult to get into London for a night out.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The company has sports and social club which has a lot of clubs which are easy to get into as well as the regular trips to west end shows. They also encourage involvement with the STEM ambassadors scheme which was very enjoyable.

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 would thoroughly recommend a placement at MBDA as there are a lot of perks for working at the company and the experiences you can gain from the placement are beyond what you expect.

Review 31/67 for MBDA

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