Engineer Review

by BMW Group

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

Rating

2.2/5
  • The Role
    2.6
  • The Company
    2.1
  • The Culture
    1.6

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • Enjoyed to a varying degree, depending on the task, the team and the level of support available. There were a lot of enjoyable experiences throughout the year, but certain tasks could feel patronising or demeaning to the point of being more suitable for a work experience student. These were mainly tasks not mentioned in my job description

    3/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I felt valued by my immediate colleagues, with whom I had a good working relationship. While doing the work they gave me, they were always grateful and inclusive, and we often joked together. With the wider company, colleagues would sometimes ignore emails or reply long past the time I needed, but would still happily expect work and replies from me on their projects.

    3/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My immediate manager was excellent, frequently holding meetings with me about my progress, goals and any issues I had. He would not just support my tasks, but also university work and wider working experience. The management levels above him offered little to no support, only speaking to me when asking for a miscellaneous job which shouldn't have been mine.

    2/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Often not busy enough, but as work came in waves based on customers, sometimes jumping to extremely busy. This was later rectified towards the end of my placement when I was encouraged to seek out my own ongoing projects to only work on if my regular, deadlined work wasn't enough to fill my time.

    2/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given a lot of responsibility for certain tasks, but always given the support to ensure that all mistakes would be caught and rectified before causing the company or my colleagues an issue. Towards the end of the year, I had as much responsibility as the permanent employees in my team.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • The skills I have developed regarding time management and processes will help me significantly in my degree studies. After graduating, my time working here will be very beneficial, as I feel more confident in a working environment and being involved in a company. I received very limited training, much of which was specialised to Rolls Royce.

    3/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The initial impression was a very friendly place with joking and frequent food sharing on special occasions. However there was a lot of tension between certain departments, as they vie over job roles or control. There is also a large divide between the marketing and production offices, which causes a negative atmosphere.

    3/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • When I joined, almost nothing was prepared for me apart from a desk. I'm spent months waiting for some things, and am still yet to receive others. Although I've made sure that my replacement is set up for everything that I was missing, a year ago I couldn't complete any work as my manager had neglected to prepare.

    1/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • Rolls Royce offered limited training in the year that I was there due to limited budget. This extended to not just interns, but also permanent employees. However, any support that I could be offered without funding was offered. I had regular meetings to discuss my progress and a spreadsheet clearly outlining the expectations and realities of my skillset.

    3/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    International Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Above 25 days holiday

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • Very limited. Currently only 12 graduate jobs for the 70+ interns, and few of the graduates have been offered contracts. Many interns are keen to come back, but with competition so high and no scholarship or fast track program available, there is limited hope for the majority of the current "future talent".

    1/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • With 70+ interns, we broke off into several groups, most of whom socialised with each other.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Very high. Chichester is one of the most expensive areas outside of London, with £5 pints and expensive rent even in student homes.

    1/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Chichester has no nightclubs, just expensive pubs which close early.

    1/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Unless you attend the university, there is almost no opportunity to join sports clubs or other social events aimed at people under 60.

    2/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

South East

June 2017


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