Railway Electrical Engineer Review

Instantly I was involved with the company and began to make friends. The first week was getting to know the company and tours around the different sites and projects which I then worked on. The people I worked in within my department were great fun but also very professional and would ask me what skills I wanted to learn from this placement and helped me get them.

I was invited to all the little gatherings and we even had our own wasabi wednesdays going. If there was someone going for a coffee I would get the invite and I also felt comfortable to ask anyone if they wanted to have lunch together ect.

My manager would help direct me to the correct people whenever I meeded information instead of spoon feeding me information. He was there in the meetings if I felt I needed him there but after a few days I had the confidence to arrange meetings and meet up with people alone. He would cater to my skillset and give me tasks that would help me work on different behaviours and he ensured I got a wide understanding of how the company works in the time I was there.

I had a healthy workload although some days were quieter than others. This was because of the stage the project i was working on was in. Despite this I had a few tasks and deadlines to meet so I was able to calmly work through these deadlines and take a breather when needed.

For the first few weeks I was given some tasks that were challenging but miscallaneous to the project. Then I was given a full report to written for the project trials which was a lot of responsibility but I had the support of my colleagues and even signed it off as the sole preparor by the end of my placement.

The sector I worked in helped in my project management skills which are vastly helping me in my two major projects that I have this year however the general placement was not very engineering based and instead works on the management. Regardless I obtained skills that I know I will need wherever I go!

There was a good balance of work and conversation. There were quiet moments where everybody was studying but if there was a topic of conversation anyone was welcome to join in and have a breather from the work. It was a nice atmosphere and I never felt uncomfortable around the people I worked with.

At the start, there was some confusion as to what work I should be given and what contribution I can make to the team. Throughout the weeks as my manager saw my skillset and potential, the work load increased at a good level and I began getting into the projects more.

I was able to go on site by doing familiarisation training. This was something I am aware other placement students did not have, but likewise they had gone through training for their placement which I did not have, I was constantly made aware of opportunities for training if I wanted to develop myself.

I enjoyed my placement and was aware of the graduate scheme and what it entails. I did not get alot of information in terms of future employment prospects however I enjoyed my time at TfL and am willing to work their and learn about what else I can do. I imagine you lead major projects. I did get a job offer with them!

The first week, we spent learning about the company with the other placement students, we became good friends and an objective of ours was to organise a forum where we talk about what work we have done within our departments. I enjoyed meeting the other placement students however it is a shame that after the first week you are dispersed around London and don't get to see each other that often.

I lived at home and Tfl provides free tube travel therefore my costs were low. In terms of socialising, TfL provide discounts to many restaurants and I was able to make use of their sports socials and attended a weekly badminton session with the another placement student. It was very cheap for the time we got on court and always had a great atmosphere! It was also a great way to meet other TfL employees from other sectors of the company.

There are many bars and night clubs in walking distance. About 15 minutes away is Covent Gardens, where you can go to Dirty Martini on a Friday! I personally did not go out at night much however for various leaving drinks we did go BOUNCE in Holborn which had good cocktails and lots of ping pong!

The work at TfL was never too strenuous for me and my manager made sure that I never became too stressed with my workload so I could enjoy working and having time for other activities as well. That's why I joined the badminton sessions! Asides from this I'm not sure about what TfL themselves provide as out of work activities.