This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I thoroughly enjoyed my placement - I was given many opportunities I would not have otherwise experienced, and gained an insight into a fascinating area to work in. The majority of the work I took part in was not directly linked to work I had done at university (aside from through the tool I was using) yet I found the opportunity very interesting and the projects exciting.
The work environment is very friendly and colleagues are very encouraging. I felt like a valued member of the team who could be relied on to contribute equally to the work effort. If you prove that you are capable in a particular area (and there is scope for similar work on current research) then the organisation fosters this and provides opportunities to use and develop these skills.
The organisation operates a buddy scheme - meaning you are assigned a colleague who has more experience of how the organisation operates to help get you started with day to day activities such as filling out a timesheet or other forms. I personally had the additional benefit of being in a small office with several similarly minded colleagues who were very approachable for advise and guidance - not just on administrative tasks but specific technical areas also. I also was lucky to have two excellent team leaders during my time at the organisation, their support on matters such as workload and getting you involved in projects of interest is very helpful.
I had varying days but was mostly extremely busy. However, this was my own fault as I took on a lot of work out of interest in those areas. The balance is generally good - particularly as there is a flexitime scheme which means that one can compensate for having had a particularly long day with hours off of the next day (subject to line manager approval of course).
I personally was given a lot of placement, however, there is no requirement to do this and some of my fellow placement students opted for less. Ultimately, if you show ability and are keen then the organisation is happy to support and foster your ambitions as far as you wish to take them.
I did not gain a lot of new skills as the majority of the work I was completing built upon skills touched upon at university. However, general organisational skills and professional conduct - particularly how best to present technical material to various audiences. I also received training in areas I would not otherwise have the opportunity experience.
The Company
I had a very relaxed office, but that was as the colleagues in my office were very capable and intelligent. My impression was that this varies between offices at the organisation and completely depends on whether you get on with those around you. However, I did not hear anyone complaining in particular about their office situation, and the organisation operates a hot-desking system in some areas: meaning you can essentially sit with whoever you wish.
The organisation has a lot of experience in having placement students, and it is a defined role which they regularly recruit for. I personally found that there was no formal system in place for the activities that one partook in during the placement, instead discussions with one's team leader was often the way to be allocated on work on one of the many exciting projects going on.
The organisation is very good at investing time into developing its employees and are very keen to foster knowledge and let the new employees learn from their more experienced colleagues. I personally took part in multiple training days and sessions including learning how to use interesting equipment, awareness of the background contextual information for interesting technological developments and the standard workplace and outdoor trials training.
Flexi Time
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
Financial Bonus
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Working from home
The organisation is currently in the process of moving site and so many employment prospects are available to new graduates and experienced hires. The future employment prospects are likely to be at the Salisbury site rather than in Sevenoaks as the organisation is relocating staff to the Salisbury site and has invested money in a new bespoke facility.
The Culture
There was a good sense of camaraderie amongst the students and young graduates - there was a large cohort who all started at a similar time. There was also an established group within the organisation for new starters. The group organised several events outside such as pub quizzes, bowling and nights out - and even a ski trip.
I cannot comment on this as I am from this area and so chose to live with my parents at a commutable distance from work for the cheaper rent! I believe that it is quite expensive close to work in Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells areas but there are more affordable areas nearby. Most socialising occurred in local pubs or in London - which is easily commutable.
I personally cannot comment on this as I am not massively into nightlife. But from discussions with colleagues the nightlife was relatively lacking but made up for by the proximity to London. I believe the actual area is not particularly known for its nightlife but I did not hear any complaints - most likely as the group organised their own events or commuted.
There were many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work as the group of new starters organised many activities for socialising, whilst the organisation itself had several group activity days. Most of these are not organised by the organisation itself but various staff within the organisation in their free time.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
South East
October 2017