Civil, Structural and Architectural Engineer Review

Overall, very enjoyable and worthwhile experience. A clear placement plan allowed me to see from the start what sort of work id be doing which was good. Buddy and mentor system means your interacting with Cavendish employees on a daily basis. Only negative was that I didn't get the chance to go on a site visit which was a shame but I know how difficult it is to get people on site due to security.

My buddy, mentor and manager all made me feel like I was a big asset to the team and gave me real work to do making me feel I was helping Cavendish a lot. The entire office had a real interest in the interns and throughout my time I had people come up to me for a chat which was nice.

My manager was fantastic and I felt like he was always trying to help me by getting me more work and promoting me in the business. I had the chance to work with him on a project as well which was great as I got to meet more experienced engineers

Hardly ever felt too busy or stressed because of having too much work on. For the majority I always had things to be getting on with. If I found I didn't have a great deal of work I could talk to my buddy and he would set me work to do within a day. For the final couple of weeks however I felt the work slowed down and I didn't have as much to do.

Although in the grand scheme of things I wasn't given a great deal of responsibility, my colleagues gave me work on real projects which meant I did have some responsibility. This meant I was always copied into the emails and in all the conference calls so felt like a real part of the team.

The internship has helped me understand far more clearly how real engineering projects work and how the industry works which is something you don't learn in university. I gained a great deal of knowledge on numerous software's and important regulations which are used every day by engineers. Also learnt a great deal about nuclear power and has made me a big supporter of the industry in the UK! The internship presentation allowed me to research into the industry and present my findings to graduates and industry experts. I can then use this knowledge in all aspects of my university work next year which should give me a massive boost.

Office was very friendly and open allowing for you to feel a part of the company. Majority of people always seemed in a positive mood and would often chat to you in the kitchen when your making a coffee. It is an office at the end of the day so isn't going to be a barrel of laughs, it is a serious office so many people just sit down and do their work.

Every intern got a tailored placement plan when they arrived which was great. Two masterclass sessions allowed all the interns to get together and these days were very enjoyable. I was able to go down to Bristol and put in a luxury hotel for the night which you cant complain about. Only downside on the organisation side was how I wasn't able to go on site during my time there meaning I spent every day in the office.

I felt as if Cavendish Nuclear had a massive interest in all of the interns and their development. I felt like I was a graduate with my manager investing a lot of time in my development and would often take me aside for a chat about how I felt and what I wanted to do. If I had an interest in a particular area of work, I could just say this to either my manager or my buddy and they would find me work to do in that area.

I feel as though Cavendish are aiming to fill up their graduate roles with interns as they treat you like a graduate while your there and take a real interest in you. I am attending the intern assessment day in a couple of months where all the interns will be getting interviewed for the graduate roles.

There was a 5 a side football team and company events such as the sports day. Social events were promoted well by Cavendish and the open plan canteen allowed you to sit and eat lunch with the other interns and graduates. The two masterclass sessions allowed all the interns to meet and the presentation project meant you worked in a group of 3 and had weekly conference calls to discuss your work.

Area is very cheap to live in. I got a spare room which cost me less than £100 a week which my wage covered easily. Cavendish also pay you weekly meaning paying your rent is easier. However I stayed about a 20 min walk away from the office and there was very little to do. I went home every weekend due to there being nothing to do. Some graduates however live in central Manchester which I would look to do if I got a graduate role there.

Birchwood had a pub which had a maximum of 3 people in at a time. However if you lived in Manchester, Bristol or Liverpool like a lot of grads im sure this wouldn't be a problem but Birchwood is not a party town and if you don't have a car with you, your weekends would be extremely boring.

There was a 5-a-side football team which the interns could join however I never got round to joining. I tended to just go to the gym instead which was very cheap for people who work on Birchwood park. There was also the sports day which seemed to make everyone in the office cheery and looked a laugh.