Electrical Quality Undergraduate Trainee Review

The project that I was on was engaging and kept me busy. I was applying my studies and experience to really interesting scenarios and challenges. The team that I was in were keen to have me see many of the different roles that I could take as a graduate / in my further career - they had my development in mind throughout.

I feel I was a valuable part of the team, and was able to provide a set of skills that they were previously lacking. As a result, I was treated with respect and not just as 'the intern'. I was involved in the weekly 5-a-side games and was included in the celebrations of a lot of other social events (birthdays).

I was pushed to get involved in various graduate-run development groups (which I did). So while guidance from my supervisor wasn't as good as it could have been, he still encouraged me to seek it from sources that he knew were available. My manager was also very supportive if I ever had questions or needed help.

I always had work to be getting on with, I never got to the point where I was 'finished', and if I'd wanted to I could have worked longer hours or worked from home (though this wasn't expected). Though it was flexible around any other activities I wanted to get involved in, there was never a lack of work to be getting on with. It was a perfect balance.

I was working in a quality-control area of electrical engineering. As a result. any major mistakes from me could translate to big quality issues (and therefore sizeable losses) for the company. If ever I was struggling / needed help it would be available, but I had quite a lot of personal responsibility.

Of course, experience of working in a professional environment is quite invaluable. The communication, time management and teamwork skills will come in useful in many aspects of life. However, having had other internships before, I didn't develop too many new skills. Typically I was applying skills that I already had to interesting applications.

The office was never quiet, and I felt I could openly talk about most things (within the standard bounds of being respectful). Colleagues would frequently joke and tease each other, sometimes with harmless practical jokes. Everyone knew that everyone was busy, but that didn't mean that they didn't want to enjoy themselves.

The placement was organised well in some cases, not so well in others. I had a change of manager just before I arrived, which confused quite a few of the IT systems and made my induction quite confusing. However, there was a solid structure of what we needed to achieve before we finished and when we would be reviewed etc. There was a very helpful facebook group constructed by HR which made it easy to communicate with other interns and organise accommodation in advance of our arrival.

Many individuals took time out of their work to show me their area for a day or for a few short hours. It was invaluable for my development and exploration of the company. I also received some training which I will retain if I return for another year of placement or as a graduate.

It is a business which is growing massively, so the prospects are exciting. I feel like if I worked hard I could get to wherever I wanted to. I also love the products, so it's easy to be enthusiastic in my work. A place on the graduate scheme and a career after are almost guaranteed.

Many of us lived together in Coventry university accommodation (that JLR lined up for us). We did sport regularly, went out at weekends, cooked in groups, etc. It was like university.

I go to university in the South East, so prices in the midlands were incredibly cheap by comparison!

Not great, you could travel to nearby towns like Leamington or slightly further to Birmingham if you wanted a proper night. Coventry didn't provide much, but it was enough on most occasions.

There were night drives, go karting, football. There's also a fund for employees to do activities, ranging from cooking classes to sky diving to dent removal.