Intern student 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

3.2/5
  • The Role
    3.3
  • The Company
    3.7
  • The Culture
    2.5

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • Overall I enjoyed the internship. I had a project which gave me the opportunity to learn a great deal about the relevant product. However I was frequently frustrated because the project was working with old, under-documented code. The company did provide a large number of activities and social events, which were generally fun.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • The other interns were friendly and I felt respected by them. My colleagues on my team, although I did not do a lot of work with them on a day-to-day basis, were always helpful and willing to answer questions I had. In addition I felt that the HR team were genuinely interested in interns' feedback.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • Most interns at Metaswitch have a manager and a mentor, but I had one person filling both roles. He was very supportive and always willing to help, and gave me useful feedback on how to improve my skills in various areas. However, the fact that I had a single point of contact meant that during busy periods in the product development cycle, I not infrequently got blocked waiting for advice while he was busy on an imminent task.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • On average the workload was manageable, although of course there were days when I was busier than others. Because I was working on a large codebase, I often had to wait several minutes for my program to run, which was not an efficient use of my time and which could be boring. However, that's pretty standard in software.

    3/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was responsible for completing my tasks and delivering my product. However, it was intended for internal use which meant that if I had failed (I did not), there would not have been a loss to the company in terms of reputation or customers. I did not have responsibility for managing others' work (as one would expect for an internship).

    2/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • Except perhaps in terms of time management skills my internship will not help me much in my remaining years at university. However I gained a solid skill base in writing Python and understanding code in general. I also had opportunities to improve my presentation skills and make communications more effective. That said, it would have been better if I had also gained experience in writing formal software design documents.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The office was open-plan with middle managers distributed round, not in their own offices. People were approachable and most people were friendly. While people were of course focused on their work, the atmosphere was relatively relaxed. A cake rota helped those who wished to take a break and get to know new people.

    3/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The company hires a large number of interns each year and is good at handling the administrative side. I received a decision quickly after interview and received information about joining in good time. I had a meaningful project to work on as soon as I had finished my basic training.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • As well as training directly relevant to my task, the other interns and I received effective communications training and a series of talks designed to broaden our knowledge of software development and the general landscape of the industry. This did not extend to any formal qualifications or certificates from recognised courses.

    4/5

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

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Company Parties/Events

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • They provide a good offer for graduates in terms of pay and conditions.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • The company put on several social activities for interns such as a mini golf trip and welcome drinks for new starters. The large number of interns they hire means that there were opportunities to share your interests with others, both inside work, i.e. during the lunchtime sports clubs, or in your own time..

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Enfield is not the most expensive part of London, but it's still London! That said, the company does own a number of nearby houses which it rents to interns at a subsidised price.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • There is basically none in Enfield, you have to go further afield.

    1/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Getting involved with activities as an intern can be difficult due to the short length of time you spend in the area. However there are various cultural and sporting groups in the area, and opportunities to engage in charitable work were sometimes advertised through the company. You can get involved with company sports teams which regularly play against other local groups.

    3/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Computer Systems Engineering

London

August 2017


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