Summer Student Review

I really enjoyed my placement at Atkins. There was a range of work to be involved in, from the technical side as well as site visits on the more practical side of engineering. On my first day I was introduced to my 'buddy' which made settling in easy and gave me someone to report to whenever I was unsure.

The team I was a part of was quite small, less than 10, which made it feel like quite a close knit group. When working with a colleague they seemed genuinely grateful when completing a task for them and the feedback on work was constructive, helping me to develop throughout my time.

It felt like there was a good balance between the support and independence I was given. I knew that if I had any questions that I could ask a colleague and they would do their best to explain in a way that helped me to understand. I would talk to my line manager throughout my day and he made sure I had a suitable workload.

The workload was varied, meaning there were times where I was under time pressure to complete tasks. I enjoyed this though as it gave me a genuine experience of work life and the pressures that come with it. There were also times where the workload was quite light meaning I had some time to read around what I was working on, which was encouraged, in order to gain a better understanding.

Generally I would always have a task to be independently working on but help was always available if necessary. I was responsible for balancing my workload and organising my time wisely to meet deadlines. Some of my tasks included liaising with other offices, organising plans for site visits and then producing reports based on the site visit.

I was able to gain experience in the assessment of structures using some of the technical knowledge I had gained at university, whilst expanding on it as well. The experience of working in an office was new to me meaning my communication skills were developed when liaising with staff in a professional manner throughout my time.

The atmosphere was professional but friendly, everyone got on well. Everyone was very focused on their work most of the time, but there were times when people would relax a bit and have a conversation with you.

From the start it was well organised, I was introduced to my 'buddy' when I arrived for my first day and began working through my induction workbook. This gave me some time to settle in to the work life. There was always work I could be involved with and if I was ever unsure of what to do there was someone available to help.

There was the standard health and safety training that had to be completed before going on site and various other required starter training to get you used to the company. There were technical webinars that took place weekly which were aimed at graduates but they showed that Atkins wanted to continuingly develop their employees.

I had the opportunity to work beside graduates at Atkins, this meant I gained an insight into what I would be doing if decided to work there in the future. There seemed to be a lot of opportunities within the company to move around and to pursue whatever interests you, which is something that appeals to me.

There were a lot of graduates working in the office and there were occasional social events. I felt like a part of the team and it was a good chance to get to know people who worked in other parts of the office. There was one other intern who I spent a lot of time with and it definitely improved my experience.

I worked in the Cambridge office but commuted in to work from home which cost quite a lot. I did have a look at local accommodation which was quite pricey as well. Some areas of Cambridge are expensive but there are plenty of places you can go for a reasonable price.

Cambridge has a good Nightlife which I would recommend but it can be quite expensive (especially out of term time). Because I commuted I didn't go out after work in town because it would have been a struggle to get home. If you decide to stay in Cambridge for your placement then I would recommend it as there is a good variety of places to go.

There were a few socials organised during my internship and I got involved in them to get to know people. One week we went punting as a team which was fun and a bit different. There were also graduate socials which was a good way to get to know people closer to my age.