This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
The placement was moderately enjoyable. There were some really fun and engaging initiatives and activities throughout the year, but these were accompanied by some very frustrating challenges. These seemed to be project specific so it is likely dependant on the role and project you are placed in.
I felt that I was adding value throughout the placement, and it was not long before I was able to assist those I was working with through my knowledge of the project and company processes. I felt I was able to bring some of my academic skills to the table, but at times these were not appreciated and tasks were completed in an inefficient manner due to "old habits".
The people responsible for my management and supervision were very supportive. Any occasion where I was not supported to the level I required was likely a failure on my part to make my requirements clear. MBDA seems to have adopted a good working atmosphere where teamwork is concerned, and employees are heavily encouraged to bring any issues they are having to light.
The workload for my specific project seemed to wax and wane. As such I was involved in a few other projects, however there were times when I had far too much workload and project timescales could lead to a stressful working environment. For the most part the work was steady, but planning is crucial to avoid getting sucked into the panic of "delivery due-date" time and the ability to say no to jobs is important to managing a healthy balance.
I would say my specific placement was a great opportunity to get involved in a broad range of activities, some of which were important deliverables and carried quite a lot of responsibility.
I do not feel the skills I have developed will assist in any great way with my degree studies, apart from in report writing and, if I get the chance, team leading activities. Beyond my degree however, I feel my placement experience has added as much value as my degree in terms of giving me the skills required to work in an engineering company, and has taught me things that one cannot learn in a classroom environment, particularly surrounding project life cycle management, people management and personal development.
The Company
The first project I was involved in seemed to have a certain scepticism attached to it, with a lot of complaining about the working environment. Many people wanted to work on other projects. However, the general working atmosphere was good as my manager was very capable and also encouraged our team to interact with each other at a social level and use each others strengths to our advantage. Likewise in the second project, the management of the team led to a healthy working environment and our team atmosphere was pleasant overall.
The placement was generally very well organised. The induction into the company was fantastic, and everything generally ran very smoothly. It was challenging at first to gain all the required access and a few hoops required jumping through in order to begin certain pieces of work, but this was to be expected. The infrastructure of the Formal Development Programme (now the Early Careers Programme) was generally very robust and well thought out
Undergraduates were not entitled to any formal training, but the graduates were expected to take advantage of the many training courses available to them, and this seems like a generous initiative for those returning to the company. I was provided training on some occasions where this was necessary to enable me to work.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
National Travel
Financial Bonus
Above 25 days holiday
I feel like I would be keen return to the company at some point, but not into the same function as I have worked in my placement year.
The Culture
The graduate scheme ensures that the majority of grads/undergrads are introduced to each other at the start of the placement. As such we were instantly provided with a network of other young, like-minded people and bonded very well over the year. We organised road-trips, weekly poker and many other fun events. Birthdays were a particularly rowdy affair.
As I was moving from overseas I had great difficulty securing accommodation. The surrounding area is fairly congested and therefore I was forced to take the first flat which was available and had to pay a rather high amount of rent. Those who were able to visit the area more frequently for viewings were able to secure housing at a better price and with less difficulty.
Stevenage is a quiet town, with one main nightclub. The norm is to just head to a few pubs, but all in all it's pretty disappointing, I think particularly as I moved from a city with a thriving student community.
With London only 25 minutes away, I'm sure there are lots of opportunities available to those who seek them. I personally really enjoyed my time with the work climbing club, who were the closest comparison to a university club that I was exposed to. They organised weekly indoor trips and weekend trips to some amazing outdoor locations. There is also an annual football tournament and various other sports clubs that you are introduced to shortly after joining the company
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
South East
August 2016