CE&I Deisgn Placement Student Review

The work placement went way beyond my initial expectations. The placement was set up in a way to be challenging and rewarding when completing tasks I had a real interest in. Throughout the placement opportunities grew along with responsibilities so come the time I had to leave I felt that I had made my mark which helped ensure my placement was a success.

The work is very multidisciplinary, so many different people from a varied background of education and expertise come together to compete the tasks this helped create an atmosphere which made every individual feel valued. An idea was listened to no matter who it came from including myself as a placement student.

I was apart of a project which was set up with its own organisational structure, meaning I had a line manager, project manager, in house lead and a mentor off of the project. This set up helped with any problem I ever had, the guidance was always there if needed along with all the help they could offer.

The work was set with long term targets in mind most of the time, so the day to day work load depended on how I structured my own time and to what extend I carried out the work.I was never stuck for work and planned the work accordingly to always have something lined up.

The responsibility grew from shadowing team members to leading a team of my own in tasks. This was a progression through the year and was a key target set by my line manager, he had the mind set that no matter what stage you are at in your career you should still be able to lead and organise a team effectively to ultimately fit into the bigger picture/project.

There was a constant flow of training which came from both in house and project teams and then further afield into the company and larger communities. The training sessions all linked to the job and personal development as an employee which can be transferred to university skills for finishing my degree and then onto work.

The office atmosphere was always changing, in a good way from my point of view as this meant there was rarely a dull day. People weren't afraid to talk to people they would just meet in the tea room and a good work to social balance flowed through my team which helped with the quality of work produced.

The work placement was set p so you have a placement leader and then a project line manager. The placement leader created a flow diagram for the placement year which included regular check up chats and formal interviews which helped keep the placement on track for both student and employer.

The company has a very large range of training courses which you are personally responsible for booking onto meaning you can attend as many as you choice. Along with these in house training sessions, events and days were put on with outside contacts would come in a complete a training session to further develop us as employees.

the organisation is heading in a direction which will require new employees coming in at a constant flow, there are schemes in place to ensure the opportunities are there for students/ the younger job seeker. This will help the company develop going forward with fresh new ideas, so the prospects for me personally are very exciting.

The company has a graduate, industrial placement and summer placement scheme which fill up every year. Within these groups are people who take charge of the social side of living in the area and put on regular events and activities outside of work. The younger community is all apart of this and helps settle you into the area when you first move.

The cost of living in the area is low considering the scenery you are surrounded by and the near by attraction of the lake district. There is a cost of petrol and travel for travelling further afield but when you live a short distance away from many lakes, mountains and the sea this is not an issue.

The nightlife is very different from a city or student nightlife, it is more of a working nightlife with the majority of places being pubs rather than clubs. Saying this though you soon get a feel for the nightlife and where is best to go on what days, the graduate community helps by putting on evenings and events to make sure there is always options for a drink.

The opportunities outside of work came from the graduate community, IET or local clubs of which there are many. If you are wanting to get involved in something outside of work you dont have to look far to find it. The area is more aimed towards the outdoor scene but doesn't mean it is limited to it.