Summer Placement Student Review

I enjoyed my placement very much. The office was similar to my previous placement but I was still uncertain as what to what I work I would be doing initially. Everyone was very friendly and I was always kept busy for my 8 weeks of work. I was able to socialise with everyone and there was plenty of opportunities to learn to skills and knowledge.

I felt very valued by my colleagues. They always asked about how I was doing, both in relation to my work and personally. I never felt isolated and was a welcome part of the team. Everyone was happy to give up their time to help me with any questions I had and I was always given work that was meaningful.

The support on this placement mainly came from other members of the team who were not my direct line manager. They were superiors but were happy to take on the role while my manager worked out of the office. There was always someone available to provide me with assistance and ensure that I had work to do. There was no direct communication relating to goals and targets to be achieved during the placement, but I was able to suggest these during my time working.

The work I was given was quite easy, so did not take a lot of time to complete. I was able to spend most days doing some work but also take time out to do some training and attend meetings to shadow. Additional activities were given to me to do when there were periods of low workload and I never felt particularly bored, however, I could have had more work to do.

I was tasked with quite basic work to complete over my 8 weeks. However, I understand that this was because my manager was unable to know what I was fully capable to do before meeting me. I was given more important work further into the placement and was able to ask for additional work that was more meaningful. I was in charge of my own time management and ensuring that the end results of the work were submitted on time and to the correct standard.

I significantly developed a variety of skills and knowledge that were invaluable. I was given the opportunity to use a selection of software that is not available during my degree course. Such as Revit and Amtech. This software will be used as a graduate engineer so it was very beneficial to get exposure to this early. I continued to develop my understanding of professional working, as well as communication within teams.

The office atmosphere changed quite frequently. Due to the flexible working and other locations for working the office could be full or empty on different days. All of the teams had really good atmosphere among themselves and there was chats and laughs to be heard. There was not much intermingling between different teams. However, there are socials that take place out with the summer months to engage the whole office.

The placement was very organised. I was put in contact with my line manager before I started working. This allowed me to ask questions about the location I would be moving to, as well as the work I could expect to be doing. I was given a work pack, induction and office tour on my first day, as well as all the necessary equipment and software. This allowed me to get straight into working with no delays.

I was not given any formal training, however I was able to spend my time on the training materials provided by the company. There were online tutorials and how-to guides which were very useful and high-quality materials. I had to self-teach myself how to use the different software, but I was able to ask for assistance along the way.

The company is very appealing for future employment. I was told I would be welcome back and perhaps a graduate job would be offered in the future. There are plenty of benefits to working with the company and having experienced the work and atmosphere I would certainly consider working there once I have graduated.

There were plenty of placement students and apprentices that were working during my time there. We were not put in contact with one another directly but we knew who each other were. We engaged in conversation and started a small friendship circle among the different teams and students. This allowed us to go for lunches together, as well as spend some evenings out.

The living cost of Whitehaven was cheaper than living in a city. Rent varied depending on the region of the town. However, bus travel was expensive due to the distance between the towns and offices. There were a variety of stores that were of reasonable prices. Cafes, restaurants and pubs were all excellent prices for the quality served.

The nightlife was okay in Whitehaven. It is a small town so there was not too much to do, however, it always appeared to be busy. There was a large selection of good quality restaurants and pubs. There were also a few nightclubs on offer. Towns nearby had other amenities, such as a cinema.

Due to the placement being over the summer, all significant work social activities were off due to staff being on holiday over the summer months. However, there was always something going on in the surrounding area which people were more than happy to go to. The community was very active in running events.