Wireless System Engineer Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on placement with Intel as the work I was involved with was very interesting. I was integrated into the team and actively contributed towards team projects just like any other employee. At times it was challenging to get to grips with different aspects of the work, but this made it an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

I felt like a valuable member of my team throughout my placement year, being given unique tasks that I was responsible for, eventually being used as inputs to other projects. Also, because of this, I presented my work to visiting senior managers within the company, which developed my skills and also highlights the great opportunities given to me whist on placement with Intel.

I was given support and guidance whenever I asked/needed it and there was always a point of contact if I couldn't/didn't know how to do something. I also had weekly meetings scheduled to check up on my progress with different tasks, but was given the time to figure things out for myself, which, in my opinion, is the best way to learn new things.

It was left up to me to manage my own workload and get tasks done by the specified deadlines, so I could really govern how busy I was on a daily basis. This tended to vary a lot depending on how many meetings were scheduled for a particular day - some days I had meetings 10-4, others I had no meetings so could just get on with my own tasks.

Every task I was given, I was responsible for delivering the agreed outcome, but due to the changing nature of the work I was involved in, the outcome could change slightly at any point and so deadlines were relatively flexible. I was trusted with the responsibility to present my work to some senior managers at the company, but I was never given anything that I could not do or could not learn to do with support.

My degree is engineering based, with a considerable amount of programming. This was a vital part of my placement also as I was coding in C++ and Python every day during my placement. This enabled me to learn these languages to a good standard, which will benefit me a considerable amount when I return to University. My placement year developed my skills and knowledge of the workplace and will be extremely beneficial not only in my degree, but also beyond that when it comes to applying for graduate roles.

The general atmosphere in the office was upbeat, with people more than happy to stop and chat or help with something you're stuck on. Everyone gets on well with each other and wants to include you in everything they possibly can or anywhere in which it would benefit you.

My internship was very well organised and catered towards the things I wanted to achieve and was interested in. Every task given to me was planned in advance with weekly meetings and check-ups to keep me on the right track with tackling the projects I undertook. In terms of obtaining the placement, I was invited to an open day to meet the other interns and also given tuition from the current intern during my first month.

For saying that I could not do what I am able to do now before I started the placement, I think Intel invested in me a considerable amount. Training to be able to do the job was more of an ongoing thing, as my placement was predominantly programming which takes time to learn and you continuously get better throughout the internship. Doing this internship has developed me considerably as a person.

I was integrated into my team over a period of time, contributing to ongoing projects with the tasks I was given and eventually becoming a valuable member with the knowledge I had gained from completing my projects. I think this will sit me in good stead for future employment prospects with Intel. I enjoyed the work I was doing and found it very interesting, therefore, future employment prospects with Intel appeal to me.

Most interns are based in Swindon giving a lot of opportunity to socialise. Also, there are a number of events organised that anyone can get involved with.

The cost of living was relatively low, but with Swindon being a town there aren't that many things to do within it. However, it is on the main train route from London to Bristol so it is very easy to visit any of the places along the route.

With Swindon being a small place the nightlife isn't the greatest, but with it's location organising nights out in other towns can be done easily. If you want good nightlife whilst on placement there are better places than Swindon.

There are many opportunities to get involved with activities outside of work with weekly football matches and other things on offer. There is a social club that can be joined for a small amount which organises a variety of events that you can go along to.