QA Student Intern Review

Working at Mentor Graphics was a highly enjoyable experience, and would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the digital side of engineering. The work i was given was interesting and varied, and i felt very valued by my colleagues.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues. They placed a large amount of trust in me, and i did my best to impress over the course of the internship. This created a positive working relationship between myself and my colleagues which definitely benefited the overall experience.

If ever i had any issues, i could very easily ask any one of the people i worked with, as the office layout encouraged discussions with those around you. My manager and I held regular one to ones where we discussed how i was getting on, as well as trying to resolve any issues that i faced.

The amount of work did vary during the course of my placement, but on average i had no complaints about the amount of work i was asked to do. If i did find myself in the position of having not much on, then there was usually extra work that could be taken on if i asked the relevant people. Never did i feel like i had very little to do, as the option for work was always there.

I was given a great deal of responsibility. We had review meetings where everything I had tested in the last 3 or 4 weeks was to be demoed to members of the team and any external personal who needed informing, and this gave me an opportunity to showcase my individual presenting and testing skills that i had developed. In addition, any research activities into issues that were not fully fleshed out were undertaken by myself, and i had to respond back to the team with any findings i had come across.

I undertook a 3 day training course, where i gained knowledge and skills using the commercial CFD packages that Mentor graphics provide. This was invaluable, as the knowledge gained can be applied to other software packages that i may use in the future. The day to day rhythm of work was also beneficial in providing a steady cycle to my daily life, which i can take back to University to maximize my productivity.

The atmosphere was generally quiet, as people focused and concentrated on their work. However, people were more than willing to engage in conversation.

The placement was very professionally handled, with plenty to get involved with. Settling in was friction-less with a months handover between old and new interns, where a 'buddy' system was used to help get everything set up. An intern day was organised to meet the new interns before their employment had begun, so that they could meet the office and talk about any worries/thoughts they had before starting.

A 3 day training course was organised within the first few weeks of starting, where we given a hands on demonstration of the different software packages that mentor make. In addition to this, a one day 'DISC' training course was held, where we found out about interacting with other members of staff, and our workplace personality. I felt that Mentor Graphics showcased a good level of investment in the internship program.

Future employment is very appealing. It comes across that Mentor Graphics treat their employees very well, with a good range of employee benefits. Having spoken about post graduate employment, it's something that i will be considering.

I got involved with activities outside of work such as going to gigs and movies with colleagues/ fellow placement students. There is usually something going on in town and it was easy to organise meet ups. The group of interns met up during the training courses to go out for meals, and everyone got along very well.

Nottingham is fairly priced to live in and socialise, with monthly rent on average not taking up more than 30-35% of income. Public transport was slightly more expensive than i was used to, but the transport links are very good. Being able to meet up with people was easy and fairly cheap, depending on where you went. Having a direct train to London that only took 1hr45mins was a bonus too.

The Nottingham nightlife is excellent. With two universities, there are plenty of things to do for those the same age as me. There is a great music scene, and many clubs and bars.

Good opportunities if you looked and asked those who do regular things outside of work.