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 did enjoy my placement and it was a fantastic experience for me. When I was there the time spent working passed quickly and I learned a lot. However when I wasn't given anything to work on or given a job that more senior engineers didn't like doing it wasn't very enjoyable. But, on the whole I really enjoyed my placement with Kier.
On my placement I was placed in a particular section where I was working with the same engineers and foreman everyday. The vast majority made me feel very valued and really made an effort to help me settle down and learn a great deal while I was there. But like in most workplaces there are a few who don't really acknowledge you and just get on with whatever they are doing.
When I arrived for my placement I was sent to my line manager who then introduced me to the section I was going to be working under. After this first day I didn't have any contact with my line manager. Despite this the team I was working with gave my very good and useful guidance and they were always happy to answer my questions and explain things again if I didn't understand.
How busy I was changed on a day to day basis. For the most part I would say it was a good balance or not quite busy enough. As a large portion of my placement was spent out on site the jobs you were given kept you busy and I usually had something to work on after I was finished. There were days where I would frequently have to ask the senior engineers if there was something I could be helping them with. Sometimes the answer was 'no', leaving me bored with nothing to do.
I was given a great deal of responsibility on my placement. By the end of the placement I was treated like a senior engineer as I was in charge of a gang checking on progress and finding them work to do on site. The progression of responsibility on my placement was smooth. At the start I couldn't do much on my own and by the end I was very independent.
Most of the experienced I gained links directly to my degree. The main difference being that during my degree I don't get many practical, hands on, experience with the topics you are studying. On my placement this was completely different and will definitely help my studies in the future. The skill of setting out is probably the most useful skill i can say I learned whilst on placement.
The Company
The atmosphere in the office was really good. There were some really funny characters who ensured I laughed at least once every single day. They helped make the long days seem a lot shorter and helped me settle in much quicker. There was never any arguments in the section I was working and everyone seemed to get along with each other.
This was one of the worst parts of the placement. When I arrived on the first day I got the impression my manager wasn't expecting me as there wasn't an induction and there wasn't any work planned for me to start on. I also didn't find out I had secured the placement until two weeks before the placement started meaning I had to cancel plans and scramble to get ready for it in time.
The firm invested a lot into me to say I was only there for an 8 week placement. I was put on a training course on cable avoidance technology so I could then use various equipment and become more independent. I was also given PPE equipment. But most of all there were a lot of people who invested a lot of time into my placement meaning I could get the most out of it.
Sports and Social Club
The future prospects with Kier are very appealing. The perks for joining them as a graduate are generous and make me determined to try my best to achieve that. The hours can be long and the work stressful but you are rewarded for your hard work. I will be trying to secure a placement with Kier next year.
The Culture
There wasn't loads of opportunities for activities outside of work. The only opportunity was a game of football once a week after work which is something I participated in. This was a good opportunity to make friends you wouldn't usually make and to get to know people on a more personal level.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Civil Engineering, Surveying
North West
September 2018