This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
The work has been directly related to my degree and required further learning and practising of Engineering principles that have been introduced at University.
All my colleagues have been very friendly and the work I have done really made me feel like part of the team. Other Engineers are always interested in the real work you are doing and often of help.
This varied from project to project, sometimes the support network was strong and help was there if you needed it, but other times you were trusted to venture on your own and find how to tackle tricky situations to gain the knowledge first hand.
This is a rather tricky question, as you are trusted to get on with the work you are doing you can really take things at your own pace. Everyday there was work to be getting on with and some weeks were more stressful than others but overall the work load was manageable and steady.
The responsibility was huge, from day one I was given real work that the customer relied on and wanted to a high standard. Each project has your name on and people often ask technical advice which relies on you knowing what you are talking about.
Many skills have progressed over the course of the year. The company was excellent at offering the relevant training and you can always seek extra if you feel its necessary. Time management, presenting, tackling new problems, technical calculations/drawings plus more are skills that really get tested throughout the placement. These skills flow straight back into university and I am sure I shall find my experience valuable.
The Company
Friendly, alive and exciting. My office is a floor full of Engineers and project managers so there is always something going on.
BAE Systems have a good system in place where you have your placement manager and then a line manager that looks after you through the year with anything you need. The scope of the year was clear and well set up.
The Company really invest in training, there were compulsory courses and recommended courses to better develop skills or gain certification in required areas such as working at height ect.
Flexi Time
Sports and Social Club
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
For Civil Engineers the work is limited in terms of a long career as the Company is more suited for Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, however it is an interesting place to gain insight and work closely with other Engineering disciplines.
The Culture
Yes most certainly, BAE have a fantastic graduate and apprentice scheme so (all engineers being friendly) there are always people are the same age and stage as you which helps with socials and activities outside of work.
Affordable, rest and general living was standard. Socialising was slightly more than up North but not that expensive.
Fun, some good clubs and bars with albert road being fantastic for a bar crawl, not quite the nightlife of Northern cities or London but definitely fun to be had.
There is a large STEM involvement in the area and plenty to do with being by the sea.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
South East
May 2017