mechanical Engineer Review

I very much enjoyed my work placement, I was given the opportunity to experience a wide range of work in different departments and then tailor my year to the work I was most interested in. As well as improving my own ability and knowledge a huge amount, I also felt that I provided real and valuable results for the company.

I was treated with a lot of respect and given meaningful and real responsibilities whilst still having access to a huge support network to help me both with professional and personal development. I felt like I was an equal member of my team and always given the opportunity to share my ideas.

I had 2 managers, one was to support me as I learnt how to work as part of business and as a professional individual, and one that helped me through my technical work and improving my skills as an engineer. between these two managers I could not have asked for more support. I was given the space and trust to try things on my own but the support network was always available to me if I needed it.

I very very rarely had nothing to do. if I was ever close to running out of work my manager would actively find me some more. The work I was given was never menial or irrelevant, I always felt like I had important work to do that benefitted me and the company.

I was given a lot or responsibility. I have made real and important changes to the product and always given the chance to question something and express my thoughts on how components or procedures could be improved. Even work that felt less interesting at the time was hugely beneficial to me.

I greatly increased my ability, technically, professionally and personally. the technical work I completed has been very beneficial in my studies, but the work ethic, resilience and discipline I learnt have had a huge impact on the way I study. I believe this placement has had a substantial positive impact on my ability to learn.

my office had a very friendly but fast paced environment. there was always a positive attitude in the office and I think this led to the fast paced work. there was always something happening and work to get involved with and hard work was always celebrated in the office by managers

The placement was very well organised. I always had support and knew exactly who was available for the support. I also had a well structured year in terms of what department I was in and for how long. Despite this there was a lot of flexibility so the placement suited me as an individual

the company invested a huge amount in me allowing me to partake in a huge amount of on site and offsite training (funded by the company) mainly relating to the work I was doing at that time but they also allowed me to do courses that were indirectly relevant to me but interested me.

job prospects are very appealing. a very clear structure is set out with placement reviews, the outcome of which can lead to job offers or fast tracks through applications. There is still a huge amount I feel I can learn and benefit from the company so I would definitely come back.

there was a good social scene amongst fellow placement students. the interns and graduates get together for a large range of social and sporting activities like football and badminton weekly, pay day meals and celebration meals. there is a really strong community amongst all the graduates, placement students and apprentices.

it is a very affordable place to live. there is a huge number of flats and houses to rent and buy at low costs. the price of food is also cheap and there is a large number of shops, restaurants and takeaways at a range of prices. there is also lots of cheap bars and clubs.

the nightlife in the area is really good. with such a large number of young people (graduates, interns and apprentices) there are lots of people looking to get involved in a range of activities. there are lots of bars and clubs around but also cinemas, comedy clubs and social clubs.

there are a number of activities to get involved in outside of work. there are a lot of sporting opportunities from social sports to leagues. there are also a number of charity events to get involved in each year. there is a graduate network that arranges lots of activities for young employees as well.