Placement Mechanical Engineer Review

by Hoare Lea

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.1/5
  • The Role
    4.2
  • The Company
    4.0
  • The Culture
    4.0

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • Over the course of the 10 weeks I worked in a wide variety of roles on four different projects and I attained a good general understanding of the industry and the skills involved. Having the hands on experience in the basic fields of mechanical building services engineering (ventilation, heating and cooling, domestic water supply), as well as other aspects of building services (lighting, fire, co-ordination), gave me a good appreciation of whether building services was the right career for me.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • The office environment was very positive and I felt a part of things from the off. My colleagues were always happy to give friendly advice and by the end of the placement I felt my colleagues knew what I was capable of and hence I felt valued as a member of staff.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • Whenever I needed it help was available and a few members of staff took a good amount of time out of their own schedules to show me the ropes of the crucial elements of the job. There were also documents available for me on the company system to further familiarise myself with key steps involved with the design of mechanical building services systems as well as the justification behind then (e.g. why pipes need to be sized the way they are).

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Only on a couple of occasions in the early weeks was I left waiting for something to do. Most of the time there be something useful for me to contribute and I felt after a few weeks, when my colleagues felt confident enough in me to trust me with more significant undertakings, I was never left waiting with nothing to do.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • Right from the off I was working on documents that contributed to real projects and at times I felt I was really making a difference in ensuring the successful delivery of the project aims. Later on in the placement, I was trusted to complete tasks unsupervised that spanned the course of several days.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • While I was at Hoare Lea I learned the basics of several pieces of software such as AutoCAD and Revit which are industry standards and helped me advance the essential skills needed for a career in building services engineering. The insight into how a real engineering company operated helped me in my degree studies. When going back into working in building services, this placement will allow for a much smoother transition into working than would otherwise be possible.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • There was a very positive atmosphere atmosphere in the office and there seemed to a very good balance of socialising and working. There was nobody in the office that I didn't get along with and some people went out of their way to integrate me into the office, for example by inviting me to lunch.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • While there was no predetermined introduction schedule within the first week, all the necessary admin was done within the first morning and by the second week one of my colleagues had started "training" me in how to do all the basics of the job by setting me exercises in designing the building services of a building which somebody else had already done and comparing my results with theirs. I also worked on several different projects during my placement which allowed me to see a greater breadth to the job that I would otherwise seen, and I spent some time working with the electrical and fire departments which gave me a greater insight into building services as a whole.

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • While there were no formal training schemes due to the length of time I was there, as mentioned previously, in the first couple of weeks I did some exercises that helped me understand the basics of what the job involved and learned how to do some of the key calculations. And again, while I did not receive any formal training in how to use any of the software I used, whenever I used a new piece of software I'd always be able to find a member of staff willing to give me a tutorial on the software and answer any questions I had.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • 3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • They offered me a job (which I accepted) so if you show them a willingness to work, integrate yourself within the office environment, and complete the work you've been asked to do to a decent standard I'd imagine you'd have a decent chance of getting (and wanting) a job with them too.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • There were no fellow placement students there for the entire time when I was there, but during my time there there were four social events. I attended three of them (I already had plans on the night of the other) and I found them to be very enjoyable. I would occasionally lunch with some of my colleagues.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • For a city of its size you'll struggle to find better. I've always been told that the cost of living, accommodation especially, in a big city like Manchester is higher than smaller cities such as Preston, but I've yet to see the evidence of it.

    4/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Manchester is the greatest city on Earth so whatever you're into you won't have a problem finding something for you. Manchester has a varied, vibrant and ever changing nightlife scene. You could go to a different place every week of the year I'm sure.

    5/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • As I've mentioned there were social opportunities but little besides this. It was mentioned to me there was interest in starting a football or 5-a-side team but they were struggling to get enough people interested and available.

    3/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

North West

January 2017


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