Undergraduate Design Engineer Review

I really enjoyed my placement. I think it was invaluable to my future progression as an engineer and as a adult.

As time went on and I got to know everyone within my cell (and I became more competent and autonomous) I felt really valued and part of the team, there was always jokes and banter about me being the placement student, but I think that that is a rite of passage. The people here are definitely the highlight!

I was given a mentor who I sat next to all year who was always on hand to answer any questions I had and everyone else who sat near me we're also happy to help me with my problems (after first taking the piss just a little bit). My manager and mentor met with me throughout the year to create a development plan with me which ensured I got everything out of the placement that I wanted, including supporting with various testing of projects. I couldn't have felt more supported

It varied from day to day, week to week depending on what project were going on and what level of resource the department had. There were times that I was fully loaded and had to stay on, but I very rarely stayed past my working hours ( much to the

As time went on my responsibilities changed from doing simple changes to being tasked with producing full drawing suites, designing fixtures and communicating with customers and suppliers. I was entrusted to work autonomously and even traveled down to the factory to act as duty engineer.

This placement has provided me with a multitude of skill that will be in valuable for my studies and beyond. Firstly all the basic soft skills, like time management, confidence, communication, team work etc, to a really keen eye for detail (Still in progress) and respect for stringent rules and regulations

Due to a wide range of personalities the dynamic varied around the office. Generalyl there was quite a light hearted atmosphere which complimented the stringed heaviliy regulated work that was done. Where I sat there was a real jovial and fun atmosphere. Everyone always made sure that their work was done, but always found time for a laugh or a joke ( More often than not at my expense). The people in my cell were a real highlight of my placement and I will sincerely miss them.

I couldn't have asked for much more in terms of the organisation of my placement. Both my manager and mentor were keen to find out what I wanted to gain from my placement and tailored my experience to ensure I had the opportunities that I wanted. Both my manager and mentor were a credit to themselves and the company, and I am so grateful for all that they they did for me.

"Continuous improvement is out way of life" - this was one of the mottos of Danaher, our parent company. My training was not without the usual cooperate speel and american buzzwords, with regular compliance training and other similar activities. But in terms of personal development I was put forward for a LEAN design course, resilience training, export controls training alongside Catia Fundamentals and Smarteam (PLCM) training. These courses taught me a lot and Im glad to have been considered. Additionally there was a wealth of knowledge within the office, all of whom were more than happy to inves their time in training me in whatever I wanted to know.

There was the option for Pall to sponsor my final year of uni under the condition that I stayed on for two years following my graduation,. This wasn't something that interested me due to personal reasons, but it is a great opportunity for a student to be offered, especially with the current job market. Once you're part of the Pall family they try to fill all vacancies internally and are big supporters of personal development. Many of the people within the office have been here for 5-35 years.

During my time here I championed the social secretary role. I organised social activities to create a better sense of cohesion between the department, regardless of age/interests. I also joined the Pall community group to help people from all over the site interact and get to know each other.

Portsmouth is a pretty cheap place to live in terms of renting and cost of living, its a 5 mile cycle/drive into work so there isn't much in the way of travel costs. As an island city it's pretty convenient to get around even without a car or bike.

There isn't the greatest selection of clubs here but there is something for everyone. Astoria is meant to be on par with some London clubs for a Saturday night out. It's not personally my scene, so I'll leave that up to you to decide.

As I previously mentioned, I was the social sec so I tried to create as many opportunities as I could. Additionally there are two weekly football teams and a group who go out cycling once a week. There is still a long way to go in terms of regular activities, but with such a large site it takes a lot of to over come the inertia to get things into action