Software Engineer Review

by Metaswitch Networks

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

Rating

4/5
  • The Role
    4.3
  • The Company
    4.0
  • The Culture
    3.6

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • The internship was very enjoyable overall. I learned a lot because my mentor was sitting next to me all day, ready to help. The work I worked on was part of the actual project, so I feel like I contributed to something useful. The team and my mentor understood I was new to software engineering, but still challenged me.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • My colleagues all knew a lot more than I do about computer science, but they were never mean about this and always happy to take some time to answer any questions or review my code. It was a nice environment to work in.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My manager was sitting right next to me, and we were working on the same project. This meant that whenever I had any doubt or questions, he would know exactly what I was working on and could help me without reading through all the code first. My manager was very helpful and took all the time we needed to explain things to me.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • I had stuff to work on every day, but I never felled stressed because of a too tight schedule. I was given one project to finish in my 8 week internship, broken down into smaller milestones. If I couldn't finish a milestone in one week, there was some slack to finish it the week after. I finished my 8-week project 2 days before I was leaving.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • The code I was given is actually part of the product Metaswitch is delivering. Of course it would be stupid if they took my code and send it to the costumer, so two people reviewed all the bits of code I committed to the project and gave me feedback to improve my code.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • Coming from a psychology degree, I had no idea how to code before coming to Metaswitch. I was given the time to learn the basics before starting on my project and during the project my mentor explained everything that was unclear to me. I have learned so much over the past eight weeks! These skills will be useful for the rest of my life.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • Everybody is friendly.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The internship was very well organised. I got an email with all relevant details two weeks before my arrival and my first day started with a general intern induction. Then my mentor showed me around and explained the project I was going to be working on. He explained my learning path and working path to me. There was never a moment where it was unclear what I was supposed to be doing.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • There were multiple intern sessions on the basics of computer science, machine learning, and related tech fields. There was a three-day hackathon were I could apply all the skills I learned over the previous eight weeks. The company allowed me take the full first week to learn the basics of python and programming.

    5/5

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

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    Company Parties/Events

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • My mentor reviewed my learning process and I will have a final review session tomorrow.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • There are over 40 interns at Metaswitch at the moment and the social scene is great. There are welcome/leaving drinks every week and the interns come together to play some games, watch Game of Thrones, or have lunch in the park.

    5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Metaswitch has a company house which is subsidised, so staying here is very affordable.

    5/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • I prefer to sleep at night.

    1/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Metaswitch has a lot of clubs and societies that meet up at lunchtime or after work. I have played football, basketball, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, touch rugby, tennis and squash during lunchtimes. After work there is the boardgames club, self defence classes, and probably more.

    4/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

August 2017


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