Mechanical Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Arup, and I was based in the Cardiff Office in the Mechanical team within Buildings. The time I spent there gave me a very good introduction to the role of a mechanical engineer within building services, the design of heating, cooling and public health systems for buildings.

I felt extremely valued as an intern, more so than other placements I had previously. As soon as I started I was placed on a project and was given the same responsibilities as other team members, which also continued throughout the remainder of my placement, making me feel a valued member of the team.

I was given a buddy throughout the duration of my placement, who guided me through my work, assisted me when required and made sure I was always busy. One of the senior engineers also followed my progress, giving me feedback of my progress and performance in my exit interview. I was also given the opportunity to attend CPD lectures on different topics.

Due to the nature of the work at Arup, the amount of work available varies quite a lot. The first few weeks of my placement were very busy which I enjoyed, the final few weeks were quieter, with so projects as such to work on, but I was provided with many opportunities to learn about other aspects of mechanical services, so I never had nothing to do.

I was given responsibility appropriate to the amount of time that I was with the team, being only 6 weeks. Like previously mentioned, even though I was brand new to the industry, I still felt highly valued as was awarded responsibility within the project and was trusted to complete it.

I think the knowledge I learnt about the professional services firm, the way in which it works in terms of winning projects, the design process and the technical knowledge of cooling, heating, public health and sustainable systems will definitely assist my future studies and any future career, no matter the industry.

The atmosphere within the office was very friendly, warm and welcoming, with an introduction to all staff within the mechanical team. Everyone was very willing to help, assist and teach me whenever I reached out, with the other graduate and placement students being very helpful with any questions I had.

Very well organised, when I first arrived I was met by the team coordinator who introduced me to my buddy, my desk and the facilities within the office. At the end of my placement I had an exit interview, where I was given feedback on my progress and performance across the internship.

Future employment prospects are very appealing, Arup appears to put a lot of time and resources into training graduate employees, with good career progression and help toward becoming chartered. All graduates that I spoke to seemed really pleased with the graduate scheme, and definitely recommended it to anyone interested in building services.

Yes there was, especially in the Cardiff office. Regular socials were organised by the social secretary, such as Bingo Lingo and an Aqua Park. Every friday a social is organised to visit a local pub, and every month a 'hub of the month' event is organised with a different theme.

Cardiff is a very cheap area to live in comparatively, with rent prices being very low, along with the price of socialising. There are lots of activities to get involved in within the local area, again cheaper when you compare to other Arup offices, such as Bristol and London offices.

There were many opportunities to get involved with activities outside of work, there are mens and womens football teams, regularly organised social events and CIBSE organised events, for example I had the opportunity to go on a guided tour around a new BBC building based in the centre of Cardiff.