Placement Student / Junior Engineer Review

by Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4/5
  • The Role
    4.3
  • The Company
    4.2
  • The Culture
    3.3

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I enjoyed my placement very much, it gave me the opportunity to work on some very interesting topics and work with a great team who all got on with each other great. There were a few harder times, but everyone was very welcoming and helpful which made the whole process very enjoyable.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • My colleagues made me feel very valued as an individual and welcomed me warmly into the team. They were always happy to help out with any problems if they were not too busy and everyone offered new and interesting topics for conversation when appropriate (e.g. during breaks). My colleagues were also open to tell me their thoughts on the work I had done for them, saying if they were happy with my work or offering constructive ideas of what could be amended.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • I didn't have lots to do with my team leader by means of my work, as I did it for various members of my team. For the few bits of work and general conversations about work and my placement with my TL, he was very helpful with any problems or queries I had, offering suggestions to help with both my work at DSTL and with my university work. My colleagues who I worked for were equally helpful, offering suggestions on how to complete my work if I was struggling, drawing from their years of experience.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • The amount of work varied greatly, depending what was available. There were times where I was working on a couple of projects at a time, and others where there were almost none. It was relatively easy to go and ask for more work, occasionally having to wait a little bit while they were busy and needed some time to find something suitable, but within these periods of waiting, there were plenty of things to read up/ learn about, or practice some new skills.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • During my placement I was given a fair share of responsibility, treating me as an equal colleague and not just a placement student who will be gone soon. I was never given something that I couldn't handle, but things that were challenging enough to encourage me to improve myself and my work. I was given a few projects to effectively perform on my own, deciding what paths to pursue and producing reports for others to use to help with their own work.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I feel that I have developed a lot in my year at DSTL. I went in knowing very little about what was going on and what I was doing, but I soon learned much about electronics and communications which is what my course is based on. My placement also taught me a lot of new technical skills which otherwise would not have been learned at university. For example, I learned about how to use a wide range of testing/lab equipment and I also learned a new coding language (Python) which I have decided to take onwards to use in my final year project. I have also learned useful skills for future working life, such as good communication and team working skills.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The general atmosphere of the office was generally amicable, with happy, enjoyable conversations between colleagues. But there were a few times when it was a bit busier where people tended to focus on their work to get it done. There were odd times where people may have not been happy about something and had a little moan about it, but they soon calmed down and got on with their day.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The overall work placement was rather organised. Within the first few days of starting, there were several 'New Starters' events in which we attended training on the IT and security. Ice-breaker events were also set up in order for all of the new starters to get to know each other and generate ties before we split fully into our different teams. There were also new starter groups in which nights out or events were organised for people to further get to know each other. There were also periodic meetings with my TL to go over the work I had been doing and set objectives etc.

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • The company invested quite a bit in me, training me in various communications standards and also internal training such as manual handling etc. I also had the opportunities to go to events (conferences and field trials of equipment) as part of my work, fully covered by expenses. I was also offered another training course about 4G which I turned down as there were limited places for it and it was very close to the end of my placement and I thought that others could benefit from it more.

    5/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    National Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Working from home

    5/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • I would be very tempted to continue working at DSTL as it was a very interesting year and I learned so much from so many amazing people. However, due to future plans of the company involving relocating the site I have been working at, to one of the other sites further away, I unfortunately wont be pursuing further employment with them, unless personal circumstances change. If it was applicable, they do offer a sponsored student scheme, where if you are liked enough, they will fund your future years at university provided you perform summer placements and industrial placement until your course has finished.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • There was a bit of a social scene with the other placement students, where there would be the occasional night out or event, organised on the new starters facebook page or intranet group. I personally did not attend these due to difficulty in location as I lived in a different area to most of the other students, but through conversations, the events sounded like good fun. There were also a few events planned between colleagues, such as a Christmas party and the occasional meal to celebrate someone's final day if they were leaving.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • As I was living and working around Sevenoaks, it was slightly expensive for living costs, but most placement students house shared like at university which really reduced the costs. The wages paid were more than enough to live on, with some extra for the occasional social event with others. The cost of living did depend on which area you lived in as there were some nicer parts that were more expensive or other parts that were cheaper. Also depending on which area you were in, there was a free shuttle bus service to get you to and from work.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • I didn't really go out that much, but there were plenty of pubs and possibly a few clubs. There are a range of restaurants and it is about a 15 minute drive from Bluewater and about 20 minutes train into London.

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There were quite a few opportunities for activities outside of work, there is a forum type page on the intranet in which people create events and activities for whoever is interested, whether is it a trip to go somewhere or a special event/fair etc. There were also some annual trips that took place, such as a skiing trip. Completely outside of work, there were plenty of things to go and see or do in the area, especially if you like walks in the countryside and history/ ruins to visit.

    4/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

South East

July 2016


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