Summer Student Review

The work was varied so allowed for me to work on different projects and learn about different aspects of the transportation sector. It included different tasks from drafting drawings, doing calculations for technical queries and creating reports for all projects. This gave me a broad insight to what it is like to work in industry.

The team I worked with were extremely welcoming, especially on my first day - they made sure to introduce me to everyone including others in different areas of the business. They were more than willing to offer help and advice and often asked me to assist with what they were working on.

Management and supervisors were very helpful and made sure to do regular check-ins to see how I was progressing within the team. They also gave great feedback from what they had gather from working with me personally or from other colleagues. I was made to feel very comfortable in asking for help from any member of the team no matter their authority.

I was always kept busy whilst on my summer internship and with the system that the team had in place, made it very easy to map out two weeks of work and to see if there may be any quieter periods where I could ask for extra work if needed or to see what others were working on.

I was given varied responsibility which ultimately depended on the type of project I was working on. Most of the time I felt comfortable in making decisions, however at times work could come to a stand still as I did not have the responsibly require to authorise a decision but it comes with experience.

I gained varied training and experience which will definitely help for the future. I visited a site so gained practical skills. There were many opportunities for training sessions at lunch times which was very informative - sometimes at a level that was difficult for a university student to interpret but the team were happy to answer my questions afterwards.

Everyone was very positive and motivated in their roles which certainly made to company look good to work for. Lunch times were certainly a key to the team being so close knit as it was a time to relax and get to know one another on a personal and friendly level.

Organisation was executed very well for my arrival at Atkins. All the IT equipment was setup and ready to go and security passes had been organised in advance to make for a seamless introduction to the company. There was planned work for when I started which was also good and very well explained.

The company certainly invested in me, in terms of the opportunities within the office but also outwith. I got the chance to complete health and safety training in order to gain a CSCS card which is valid for a total of five years. Everything that I could possibly need was provided so all in all - fantastic!

There is definitely appealing prospects within the company and many opportunities for personal development academically and practically. Not only that, but there are many benefits for when I finish my university studies that will be very valuable such as pensions, gym memberships, assistance for personal health and well-being, the list goes on.

There was definitely a good social scene. I only met one other placement student from the oil and gas department for just one day so could be beneficial in the future to improve that. In terms of colleagues we got together quite regularly and everyone was included in all outings.

The cost of living and socialising in my area is quite expensive as I live close to the city centre but still require transportation and paying for food whilst on my internship. Socialising especially can be expensive but utlimately comes down to personal preference on where you choose to go.

Due to strict policies for working for the purpose of health and safety. Most socialising in terms of nightlife was at the weekend which can be expensive.

Most opportunities involved meeting up on a Friday after work for a regular get together. However, most people do have their own personal lives outside of work so it was not always possible.