Undergraduate Placement Student Review

Overall I very much enjoyed my time at Roke. I was able to work on a number of interesting projects and develop a plethora of useful technical and soft skills which will benefit me greatly in my future career. The working atmosphere is both professional yet relaxed. This gave me the freedom to manage my own time appropriately whilst still ensuring that deadlines were upheld.

From day one I was placed onto a project and informed that I would be treated as any other member of the team, albeit with additional help being provided as necessary. Throughout my time at Roke much of my work was used in final deliverables and presented to customers. As a result I definitely felt valued by my colleagues and as if my contributions had been meaningful.

My supervisor/mentor was crucial in overseeing and guiding my development during my year in industry. I was provided with constant support during training and given relevant work to perform so as to ensure that I was learning relevant skills and domain knowledge that I would need on future projects and for my long term career.

Through my mentor I was provided with new projects and tasks to complete as and when I completed previous work. Although there were occasions when I had tight deadlines, or slightly less work than usual, I was never left without anything to do and I would say that on average I always had enough work to keep me sufficiently occupied.

Due to the combination of being treated as an ordinary member of the team, and being provided with the freedom to manage my own time I felt as if I was given ample responsibility. Despite this my mentor was always able to review my work and ensure that what I was submitting was always worthwhile and to a high standard.

As I have yet to return to university for my final year I can't comment on how my placement has aided me in my studies. However the technical skills that I have learned coupled with my newfound knowledge of organizational structure and internal business politics have been incredibly useful and will definitely prove advantageous when applying for future jobs.

As previously mentioned the working atmosphere at Roke is a combination of relaxed and professional. On top of this socialising is greatly encouraged with 'after-school' type clubs, such as the cyber security club on a Thursday, and a bar on site which can be used on Fridays. This resulted in an atmosphere that ensured work was able to be completed to high standard, yet provided adequate time to socialise and communicate with my colleagues.

Due to the excellent working atmosphere and the interesting work that goes on at Roke I would say that the potential for future employment is very appealing. On top of this a generous salary for the graduate scheme coupled with additional responsibilities and opportunities to receive more prestigious training and qualifications results in a tempting post-graduate offering.

The aforementioned 'after-school' type clubs as well as on site social facilities, such as a gym, bar, and coffee shop, provide easy ways to socialise with work colleagues. Additionally the company events, such as the Christmas party, and summer festival, allow for the possibility of meeting up with colleagues outside of working hours. My colleagues were very social and as a result these facilities were excellent and consistently utilised.

Although Romsey itself is fairly quiet in terms of nightlife Southampton (where I was staying for the year) is a short distance away and has a fantastic nightlife. Southampton is a very student friendly city and has plenty of bars, pubs, and nightclubs. This ensured that a good night out was always available.