Geotechnical engineering Summer intern Review

Good variety of work, engageing and interesting

I felt like i could help to a degree, but lacked in a lot of the skills needed to make a real impact on any of the jobs

Everyone was extremely accommodating and helpful

Depended on the day and the projects at hand, but in general in the office it was not a busy period, so in respect i was as busy as most of the graduates

Friendly and at ease atmosphere overall. People generally seem to really enjoy their work in the Geotechnical Engineering department in Atkins. Even managers are relatively laid back, on the busiest of days. There is always a feeling of inclusion and openness, with no fear of being able to ask people for help or for advice, which is encouraging when you are only starting out and it is your first job.

The internship was well organised. I had a mentor who always checked on me and made sure I had enough work to keep me busy. He regularly made rounds around the office to see what work I could avail of, which not only put me on profitable hours but also gave me an insight into a range of different aspects surrounding the job. I received all the information about the internship well before my start date, and got advise on places to stay near the offices which was very helpful

Throughout the placement I learned how to use different programmes transferable across engineering firms, such as holebase and GIS. I would have liked to have had more training on there, with a bit more in depth projects, but I know it takes time and money to invest in educating someone in their applications, and seen as I was only on a 6 week placement this was probably not feasible.

I believe that there are hopeful prospects for my future in this company. Talking to many of the graduates now working in the firm I have learned that they also took part in the same placement which I am completing. I like the possibilities this company give you, their size and scope means that a lot of doors open in regards to transferring between departments. I have an interest in going into a different type of engineering, and if I do I would love the possibility of coming back to Atkins. That way I could help out in both departments and get a range of insight to an array of different projects across the UK and further abroad.

Yes, every day a group from the department would head out a walk or play Frisbee or get lunch together. I found this very therapeutic and a good way to get to know people in work and relax in work. There are also different sporting groups such as badminton and yoga, of which I attended the yoga. On my last week there was a department social organised in which we went and played rounder and got dinner in a local restaurant after which was a fantastic night, and I think occurs regularly enough,

The cost of living in the area was very cheap, however I chose to live close to work, which meant I was far from any lively town or city. I was in good distance from shops which was handy, and the trains to Manchester and Liverpool were very cheap also which was nice for weekend trips. The shuttle bus that takes you from work to the train station is a great addition to the area, as I do not drive, and if I was staying here longer I would have probably lived in Manchester, making my journey a lot quicker.

There was no nightlife in the area in which I worked. The offices are in an industrial estate which is about 20minutes outside the town, and I have been told that the town doesn't have much of a night life either. The closest nightlife would have been in the cities 20 miles away.

Yes there were some groups I was told of, including badminton and yoga, which were on between 1-3 times a week. A few of the people from work attended these