Estimating Technician Review

I really enjoyed my time working at Fluor. The internship was very well planned right through from the initial interviews and assessment day right up until the year finished. The people at Fluor were great and the office campus is only a few years old with an onsite coffee shop and canteen (subsidised). There were lots of social, charity and networking events throughout the entire year. I had the opportunity to complete the 3 Peaks challenge for Fluor's selected charity of the year with Fluor providing all the necessary transport, accommodation and logistics.

Over the course of the entire placement I would say I felt valued however this was built up over time as I was initially placed on a very large project which had a huge workforce and many agency workers it took a little time to build up some relationships. Once these relationships were in place I felt like I and my opinion were valued and the fact I was only on a placement was irrelevant.

Across the year I was given great support from multiple sources. Initially my Supervisor gave me an excellent crash course to get me up to speed on what was needed and expected in my current role, he then continued to provide support throughout the year. My manager also gave great support giving me regular feedback on performance and including me in higher level meetings to help with my development.

Initially it was quite slow as I was completing training courses and finding my feet. My supervisor and manager then gradually tested me with tasks to see how I could cope with the workload as well as the task itself. After about 6 weeks I was up and running and never short for work or training opportunities.

Once I had built up the trust with my team over the first few months I was given more and more responsibility. There was always support there if needed but it gave me the opportunity to be in control of the scopes of work and they were my responsibility to deliver for the project. This really helped my learning and development over the year.

The skills I learnt and developed really helped going forward. I found my final year studies much easier having spent the previous year working on real projects. The skills

The atmosphere was in the office was ok, there are a majority of older workers due to the nature of the Industry so it can be quiet especially when the workload is high. Overall the office environment and people are friendly enough and there are social and networking events so you can find something to do on lunch breaks and after work but during work hours don't expect a buzzing atmosphere.

The placement was very well organised from start to finish. We had an excellently arranged Assessment Day which comprised of group tasks and challenges, Personal presentation and Office Campus tour. After this the selection process was quick and kept applicants well informed along the way. The first day I arrived it was seamless HR were waiting for me in the lobby to take me to do my inductions and then I was sent to my department where I met with my Supervisor and Manager and had a desk and work waiting for me. This set the tone for the entire year.

Fluor gave me lots of opportunities for training and development. Fluor have their own interactive online learning system which has thousands of courses which were readily accessible. There were also instructor led courses on multiple topics throughout the year. Fluor also sent me on a month long business trip to Kazakhstan Office for the project I was working on. This was an amazing opportunity and gave me real insight into what the industry is like and a huge development opportunity.

Future employment prospects with Fluor are great and I now have a graduate job with them. There are excellent prospects both in the UK and internationally. I initially started working in the UK office but I am now currently on working on a Project in the Middle East.

Fluor run a program called "GAP" ( Graduates Advancing to Professionalism). Placement students were welcomed into the GAP fold for the year and they arrange a number of professional, networking and social activities throughout the year ranging from a simple after work drink to nuclear power plant site visits and speed networking sessions with senior management.

The cost of living in Farnborough is reasonable. Its typical of the south east of England and being close to London some places can be a little expensive compared to University prices. However I found that the salary was very good for a placement and balanced the slightly more expensive nature of living in the south east well.

Farnborough itself doesn't have a huge amount of night life mainly a few pubs and restaurants but there are lots of places very close by in Fleet. Also there is an easy journey to Guildford or only 35 Minutes on the train to central London. Overall I think the balance of the nightlife available was fun but don't expect to be living in a university town.

Yes, there are lots of sports and social activities. Football team, Golf days, tennis club, basket ball club and many more on the sports front. Fluor runs numerous social nights though the year Bowling night, quiz night etc also there a lots of groups on the intranet forums that are very niche and they arrange their own events/meetings.