Naval Architect Student Intern Review

by Houlder Ltd

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

Rating

4.5/5
  • The Role
    4.7
  • The Company
    4.4
  • The Culture
    4.3

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • Overall, I have enjoyed my internship immensely in all its aspects. It has been six months of invaluable practical engineering, surrounded with magnificent and knowledgeable people that made one of my first job experience very pleasant and rewarding. From this internship, I have not only learned and developed engineering skills toward my studies, but also established a friendly relationship with my co-workers who have inspired me in my future decisions regarding my career and personal growth.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • The office was a friendly working environment from day one, where I got everything set up ready to start my induction. I found everyone willing to help regardless my concerns, showing interest not only in any professional trouble but also personal ones. I have had really good cooperation with my colleagues and it has been a pleasure to work with them.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • As already mentioned, my supervisor, as well as other co-workers, was happy to help and guide me when required in any matters. I felt supported during the length of my internship (and beyond) what, at the same time, allowed me to work with independence and confidence knowing I was doing things as expected.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • On the induction week I was fairly busy catching up with the company procedures to accomplish a project as well as doing some training with software I was expected to use along the internship. Once I started on my first real project, other jobs started to come progressively, allowing for an active but not stressful work pace in general. However, due to the nature of this industry there were peaks of high demand of engineering hours to hit the corresponding deadlines.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • There was a good balance of responsibility. Once I got the basis of working as per the company procedures, responsibility started to increase very quickly, which allowed me to feel as an important member of the team as well as working with more independence. Definitely, the way the company relied on my capabilities had, and is going to have, a great impact in my career.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • The practical experience I have gained is invaluable and covers a lot of aspects of my career. I have improved and developed my engineering, professional, and personal skills massively in barely half a year. In addition, my co-workers have guided and inspired me immensely as well, which has allowed me to establish a clear path toward my future goals. It goes nearly without saying that my degree studies will benefit from this internship, and future work options as well.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • I hope I have already clearly stated how friendly and professional is the atmosphere in the office. It is a great environment for a fresh graduate as I was, but also for every newcomer regardless its background, which guarantees an easy-going start in the company. During critical times, mainly project deadlines, you will find more agitation, but is still nice to work under a bit of pressure to push yourself.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • I am very happy with how well balanced my internship was. During the induction period I had everything set up and a check list to accomplish. After that, as mentioned, responsibilities and tasks progressively increase. I never felt out of place and everything went smoothly, which can prove how well organised the internship was.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • Definitely a lot. Primarily, and what I have appreciated the most, in terms of time dedication and sharing knowledge. My co-workers were very knowledgeable and never hesitated to share their experience and expertise. In addition, I learnt from scratch how to use two new leading software of structural engineering and design, and improved my skills with other software I had previously used. Also, I attended various client meetings (show that the company relies on you) and got an extension of my initial internship contract.

    5/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Financial Bonus

    Company Parties/Events

    5/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • I will be very happy to come back to Houlder in the near future. In my opinion, the Company is currently very active in the market and the projects in which it is involved are very appealing to me. Without a doubt, my career will benefit tremendously if joining Houlder again.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • It was great to meet other interns, particularly those with interest alike and studying similar courses to mine. The relationship with them was fantastic and my internship benefited from them as well. Sharing your daily experience with others in the same position in the company was truly helpful.

    5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • In my opinion, Newcastle is an affordable city that has an extensive price range. Therefore, you can adjust the cost of living against your budget and you should be good. Also, the centre is very vibrant, full of local and international students of all types, socialising is not a problem at all.

    4/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • As said, Newcastle is a lively city at any time of the day. There are plenty of pubs and nice restaurants to spend the night.

    4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There were various employee nights out that I particularly found very enjoyable. Also, I had the luck to attend the summer event which was excellent. These nights out were really good to get to know other employees in the office that did not work directly with me on a daily basis. Besides, I found I had enough free time in the evenings to get involved in other activities after work.

    5/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

North East

September 2017


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