Summer Intern Review

It was good, I mostly stayed busy and had a lot of work to do, the department was friendly and helpful and there was flexibility in hours. I enjoyed the canteen - the food was good - and free drinks machines, the IT equipment was good - and the location was perfect for me.

I helped with lots of Excel Workbooks, including Macros/VBA and pivot tables. My computer knowledge was slightly higher in certain areas, including the set up of computers and in using certain functions in Excel. This enabled me to feel valued as I felt useful, and like I was actually doing good work for the company.

I was given just enough support, I was told what I needed to do and how I was to get there, and then was expected to do it. If I ever had a problem they would stop what they were doing to help me, yet I was still pushed out of my comfort zone

At the start it was a bit slow whilst I was waiting for my laptop, however this only took two days, which I was very surprised about. Then I got busier when I had a project. if I ever ran out of work there would usually be something that I could do.

I had to organize and begin meetings, this included large groups of people including managers. I also had to set up conference calls with people from abroad who also work in the company. I had to manage my project correctly, which was solely my responsibility, and to ensure I turned up to meetings on time.

I've developed my excel skills greatly, as I have had greater experience with large sets of data to sort through. This has meant that I have had to think about different techniques to use Excel, such as macros for duplicate lines etc. I have also learnt how to communicate better, which is an invaluable skill.

I sat in a large office, which was mainly quiet with people focused on their work however it was easy to start a conversation, and other people were always happy and funny. So yes, it was a good, friendly atmosphere which I liked to be involved in throughout my time

I didn't hear much information before I arrived at all, I found out the week before which site I would be at. When I arrived they were expecting me , and my goals and what I should be achieving were clearly explained. It's been designed in a way that we have to achieve something

They invested in me to become an affiliate member of the IMeche, with MPDS for professional development. This included writing a quarterly report and being mentored by a chartered engineer. They also pay me a scholarship, which means I don't need a part time job alongside university and has greatly helped me study and focus on my grades.

I would love to work for the company full time, colleagues are friendly and inviting, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I feel very lucky and grateful that I was accepted on to the scheme. I will have an interview with them just before finishing university, and hopefully will be joining them after my Masters.

I knew a lot of them from university, so I always had people to sit with at lunch. There was also a few group chats within the companies online messaging system, so if you ever had any problems you could ask the other interns for some help/see if they had experienced this.

I worked in Lincoln, which is ranked as one of the cheapest student cities to live in. This is ideal, as I could live in the city center and not have to worry about affording rent or food and drink. It also meant that I didn't have to use transportation to get to work, which also saved money. Work was only a 15 minute walk.

In the city center and along the marina, there is a large variety of bars and restaurants which are all well within walking distance. There's also a cinema, with which I got discounted tickets through my placement.

I took part in an engineering volunteering event, a summer school which I took two days off work for. This improved my communication skills and taught me better how to explain engineering concepts. Also, Siemens still paid me as I was volunteering. There was also lots of interesting training days which I could book myself on to.