Industrial Placement - Summer Intern Review

The placement was challenging and rewarding. I gained a lot of valuable experience that will be useful later on in my engineering career. I was given tasks that not only benefitted my development but also was of use to the company. There was also a variety of work which made the job exciting and enjoyable.

Everyone in the office I worked at as well as colleagues that I met at events and meetings were welcoming and helpful. All my colleagues were able to provide help when I required it or would point me in the right direction. There is a positive and friendly environment throughout the company.

I was able to work independently on the task I was given but advice and support was given whenever I had a query about the project. My work was regularly checked and colleagues would sit down with me to go through the work I had completed to ensure I was on the right track for the work that needed to be done.

At the start of the placement the work load was quite light but as I learnt more about the project and did some more pieces of work here and there more work was available to pick up. Towards the end of the placement I was kept busy with a variety of tasks to complete but I never felt the workload was too much.

At the start of the placement the work I was given was more focussed on tasks that were set by my colleagues by what they wanted done. Towards the end I was responsible for a packet of work that I decided what the plan and outcome of the work was. I was given more freedom to work on this project.

The work I completed as part of this placement will help with my Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering and will also help in my goal of becoming a Chartered Engineer. The work matches up with the IMeche competences which need to be met to become a Chartered Engineer.

There was a friendly and social environment around the office. Everyone was willing to help whenever I had a query or an issue.

There was a few issues at first but there was a good balance between project work and work related to the internship program. I had time to work on the tasks I had been given by my line manager and also had time to complete tasks given by the graduate manager to present to other graduates the work I had been apart of. The Internship was setup well from the moment I got there.

The company has a number of events and meetings you can attend to learn about other areas of the business but also manufacturers and suppliers that work with the company. Regular feedback is given on the work completed to highlight areas that you need to work on and areas you are doing well in. So there is a number of opportunities to learn and develop as an individual.

As part of the Internship scheme you are invited to an assessment centre after your placement with the idea of going into the graduate scheme. This is definitely my first choice in terms of what I want to be doing in the future from what I have seen in the summer internship.

I had the opportunity to meet other graduates and interns with events that were held throughout the summer, however there wasn't many graduates/interns in my office that worked with the same company and the interns in my company worked in different offices so I didn't really get the opportunity to speak to them much. When I did meet with the interns and graduates it was always easy to talk to them as we were all in the same position as each other and had similar interests.

The area I lived in was average in terms of cost of living, however going to the gym, pubs etc. were more expensive than what I was used to where I studied and previously lived.

the area I lived in didn't have much of a nightlife but I isn't too far away from Manchester and Liverpool so it was easy to head there on the weekends.

Outside of work I played 5-a-side football regularly and attended an Olympic weightlifting gym which I wouldn't have the opportunity to do back home. There a range of other activities to get involved in outside work as you aren't far away from national parks and big cities.