Software Engineering Intern Review

by Metaswitch Networks

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.3/5
  • The Role
    4.6
  • The Company
    4.1
  • The Culture
    4.0

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I thoroughly enjoyed my internship at Metaswitch Network's Edinburgh office. Everyone in my team was super friendly and helpful, provided great support and was really patient with me. I started my internship with minimal programming experience, and finished the internship knowing so much more - something that would not have been possible had I been in a different environment.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I integrated into my team very well, and I felt that I was providing real value to my team by developing automation tools to make their jobs easier. I was involved in discussions, and I definitely felt that I was an actual part of the team - not as just a typical intern made to do menial tasks.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • As addressed in the previous answers, there are tons of support and guidance by both your manager and mentor. You will have weekly status meeting with your manager, where you can address anything that has happened the past week (e.g. are you struggling, what do you like, what do you not like) and for anything that you raise your manager will actually do his/her best to resolve it.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • How busy you will be depends on what you make out of it - in my case there were always extra tasks to do, so I never felt bored at all. However it is certainly not the case that you will be pressured to complete tasks all the time, and they take work-life balance very seriously. I certainly felt that I was both working hard and playing hard throughout the summer.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • This again probably will depend on your technical skills, so understandably I was not given as much responsibility as compared to more technically able interns. However there were always tasks (with the right level of difficulty) to do, and not once did i ever feel that I was bored or given menial tasks.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I learnt much about what the software engineering industry is like, as well as the telecommunications industry. This was also my first internship, so I received very valuable first-hand experience in terms of communicating with colleagues, transiting from university life to work life and other transferable skills that will stay with me for the rest of my working life.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • This varies depending on your office, but in my office (Edinburgh) there were always self-organised activities, and it is on you to sign up for them. For example, there were weekly football / frisbee, as well as the monthly board games / poker night. Game of Phones is usually held during intern season so definitely there is always something to do.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Interns are provided with laptops and all the necessary tools needed to succeed at their job. I have heard that experience varies depending on the team you were allocated to but personally I was allocated to a team working on their latest product, so I certainly had tons of fun!

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • There were always interesting talks and presentation for non computer science students to brush up on their technical abilities. There were also hackathons, intern presentation and as mentioned above weekly meetings to ensure that our expectations were met. This might vary from team to team but with my team that was certainly the case.

    5/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    National Travel

    Financial Bonus

    Company Parties/Events

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • This question is highly subjective - but I personally found telecommunications industry to be something that is not my cup of tea. This doesn't in anyway imply that Metaswitch is a boring place to work - there is always good problems to be solved but it is unfortunate that they operate in an industry that I am not very keen about.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • This varies depending on your office, but in my office (Edinburgh) there were always self-organised activities, and it is on you to sign up for them. For example, there were weekly football / frisbee, as well as the monthly board games / poker night. Game of Phones is usually held during intern season so definitely there is always something to do.

    5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Metaswitch provides subsidised housing near their office so cost of living is partly mitigated by that. Be forewarned that Edinburgh is not a very cheap place to live in.

    4/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • I am personally not a fan of nightlife so won't be able to comment much on it. However Edinburgh seems to be a place filled with bars and clubs if you want to. Heard it is pretty pricey.

    4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • This varies depending on your office, but in my office (Edinburgh) there were always self-organised activities, and it is on you to sign up for them. For example, there were weekly football / frisbee, as well as the monthly board games / poker night. Game of Phones is usually held during intern season so definitely there is always something to do.

    5/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Scotland

October 2018


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