Concept Analysis Team Member Review

I very much enjoyed the placement, this was due to a few factors. Firstly; the work that i was doing had a direct client which was clear and appreciated giving me clear direction. Secondly; the DSTL environment is very relaxed and informal in the office for normal day to day work, and then appropriate for when it is needed. Thirdly; i was given a varied placement giving me many different topics to work on which was enjoyable

From the first day of the placement i was treated as both a member of the team and as a employee of DSTL and HM Government. This was clear from the team who talked to me as if i was there for the entire time that they had been as well as from all other employees who treated me equally.

Support and guidance was given when it was needed, and not when it wasn't. This to me was a great balance as it allowed me to get on with what i did know and develop my skills, but then if there was something i didn't know or couldn't do then support was given in the form of help or pointing towards those who could help

On a day to day basis, i had enough work to always have something enjoyable to do, whether it was a project, a meeting, a seminar or training. If i felt like i was running out of work, or was getting bored with the work then speaking to a member of the team would get me either a break from work or some other work to do. I did not feel overworked at any point during my placement

During my placement, all projects that i was given to work where taken as my responsibility and any outcome from it would be down to me. This meant that i was treated as the lead on the work and could freely talk to others to finish this work. On projects that i was only a small part of, the sections of the work that i undertook were given to me under my responsibility to report it to whomever and it had direct impact on the final project

The skills and training that i have developed and received will directly assist both my degree and the work that i will undertake post degree. The placement has helped me develop my team working skills in both a small team and a wider team; the placement also helped to develop my time management skills on how to balance multiple projects and how to leave work at work.

The office atmosphere was very informal and enjoyable. On a day to day the conversation could either be on a piece of work that was being completed by a member of the team, or on something that someone in the team wanted to bring up. Another part of the team life was short puzzle/brain teasers on the notice board for anyone to have a short break and take part in. It is also encouraged for people to talk to each other especially those who you don't know so anyone could come up and strike up a conversation about some work they saw you doing and therefore you get to meet more people in your group

My placement was well organised; from my first day all of the equipment that i need was set up immediately or was ready shortly after i started. Also, i was immediately given a project to work on so there was no time waiting for things to do as i was given a good piece of work. Other training activities or off site trips for placement students were well organised and set up in advance so i could have time doing non work related activities as well as meeting other placement students

For personal training, though no official training courses were set up for the placement (as they only run certain times of the year which did not coincide with my placement), other alternative arragements were made specifically tailored for me to allow for off site trips and other courses to develop my skills as an engineer and as a student as well as to get a wider understanding of what DSTL do and how i fit into the team and HM Government in general

There were many opportunities to meet with placement students both formally and informally set up by DSTL. These opportunities varied from having meetings with prominent members of staff in the organisation with a group of fellow placement students to having a weekly pub quiz all junior members of staff to having lunch on a daily basis with the fellow students. This balance of both formal and informal meetings allowed for better networking between all students at to get a taste of what other students experiences have been.

Cost of living where i worked in Portsmouth was reasonably low as it is a university town which means that it must cater to the students who are here most of the time as well as to all of the other residents. Socialising is again cheap for both the nightlife and day life with a variety of things to do throughout the city and with easy transport links to other major cities. The benefit of the location is mostly down to the close proximity of 3 universities thereby meaning the general cost is cheap

To those who sought it out, the nightlife in the surrounding area was bustling especially in the Portsmouth / Southsea area with many bars and clubs to suit the tastes of those who wish to find it. As the area is a university town, the price is also cheaper than other towns and cities where there isn't prominent or multiple universities. There are also non drinking related activities with many restaurants and other social groups for everyones tastes

From the first day, any opportunites for out of work activites was sent directly to me by those who thought it may be relevant. This included DSTL ran events; such as off site activites, to team events; such as team meet ups on weekends to do things in the city to other social activities such as meeting up with fellow placement students to go for a drink or to hang out outside of work