Software Engineer Review

I enjoyed my internship quite a lot. This was partly due to the fact that it was my first job actually doing something substantial, so it was quite exciting. Also, the area I was working in was something that interested me quite a lot. I constantly had some work to do, and never had to sit there doing nothing. Work mates were friendly, which made it more enjoyable.

Manager sat me down on the first day and got me up to speed on what they had been doing, and what I should be doing to help while I was here. For a period, I felt like I had been given a menial job that didn't really matter, but after speaking to colleagues, I was reassured and was able to focus exactly on what was important, so I felt like I had a purpose here.

Support and guidance was given to me periodically, through my manager just checking up on me every now and then, to weekly meetings with my team. At times, I felt like I wasn't getting enough support and guidance, but I mostly feel that this was down to me not asking for it enough, as help was always given when I asked.

I always had something to do while at my internship. From the start, I was given a task to do. At times, I would feel like I didn't really know where I was going with the work I was meant to be doing, and I wasn't sure if it was the right thing, but I kept busy. If I felt like I had nothing to do, I knew I could just ask my manager about it.

Wasn't really given too much responsibility. For the first month and a half, I was mostly working on a demonstration that I didn't even think would turn out to be very important, as I thought it was just a small thing. I found out towards the end that getting some cool demos working was actually a bit more important than I thought, as we will need some demos to show customers, but I still feel like I wasn't meant to be given much responsibility from the start, because I am new.

The skills developed that will help me in my degree studies were fairly small - mostly more practice programming and working in groups. Also, coincidentally, the main thing I was working on is loosely related to an area of study I will probably be taking further on in my degree, so I was able to gain some understanding of that prior to studying it at university. However, programming in a work environment will surely help for any future job I come to have in this field.

Everybody in my office was very friendly, and made the general atmosphere in the office very pleasant, even if I didn't talk too much because I am quite a shy person. It is fairly quiet in my office, but that is probably for the best in a workplace. There is, however, usually a light chatter in the office - just enough for people to not be afraid to talk in their normal voice (this light chatter is nice).

The whole introductory day was very well organised. Initially, I didn't really feel like I had too much work planned for me to do, and that it was a bit of "uhh, here, why don't you try this?", but eventually it seemed a bit more organised. Everything else I needed was promptly given to me.

I was not really given any training for what I was doing. I learned most of the stuff I had to do on the Internet, as instructed. This wasn't all bad, as it meant I could learn things by actually doing them, which can help. I do feel like I have developed some team skills, mostly due to the weekly meetings, but a lot of the work I was doing was quite individual.

I would like to come back and have a job here after my studies. This would most likely be better than my internship because I would have a lot more time to learn what the rest of the team is doing, so I can be given a more important role, and be a better part of the team. This would also make the job more enjoyable and interesting.

I didn't really go to many of these events among other placement students, but I received plenty of email invitations to events being organised specifically for placement students. These events ranged from trips to the pub to a Pokemon Go walk at lunch. Also, events with all colleagues, such as barbecues at lunch and movie nights happened fairly often.

The commute from the farther side of London, which would have cost about the same as renting a place up here for the duration of the internship, was just over a quarter of the salary I earned while on my internship. Socialising would be fairly cheap, as a pub lunch would be about £10-£15 with a drink, etc.

Since I didn't live in the area that I worked in, it is difficult to say much about the nightlife in the area. The actual area that I worked in is quite a small place, most of it is just the industrial estate that I worked in, so there is not much nightlife directly near the workplace.

Yes, there were plenty of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work - ranging from pub lunches, movie nights, and any of the variety of events happening with the Sports and Social club. Also, the Sports and Social club cost only a few pounds a month to be a part of, and even if you weren't part of it, you can go to the events at a higher entry fee.