Structural Trainee Review

I really enjoyed my time working at Arup. Everyone was friendly, they made me feel part of the team and they always kept me busy. The work environment is also the best I have seen compared to their competitiors. I would highly recommend Arup as a company to work for.

From day 1 I immidietely felt part of the team. I would be involved with all the project meetings and they always ensured I was working on something. As a placement student I was treated like one of the graduates which was great as it gave me opportunities to go outside my comfort zone.

When working on tasks that were new to me, someone would always walk me through it and ensure I knew what I was doing. There were plenty of opportunities to ask my colleugues questions about anything I was not quite sure with. Everyone was always happy to help me if I had any questions - an advantage of working in such a large office.

I was fortunate enough to be put on a project which was very demanding for work and close deadlines. This meant throughout the whole year I always had something to do and if there were times I didnt have much on, I would either be put on another project or a short period - Basically, I was always busy since Arup work on such a vast amount of exciting projects.

Surprisingly, I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement once I worked there for a few months and they saw I was capable in doing so. Completing specific tasks on my own with a tight deadline was challenging but rewarding once done. Before going on the placement I didn't think I would have that much responsibility as I had not yet completed my degree, however, they treated me like a new grad which I greatly appreciated.

My skills and knowledge in structural engineering greatly increased after this year. I could see this as I moved to another project halfway through my placement and immediately knew what to do compared to when I first joined Arup. Arup always try to promote trying new things and they understand you want to get the most out of your placement.

There was always a positive atmosphere going into work anyday of the week. The Campus is in a really great location so travelling there was always great. I was always warmly welcomed by the staff on the front desk every morning which brightens up your day. As a whole, Arup Campus' atmosphere is excellent.

Overall, the placement was well organised. The first day I got there I had all my training and paperwork sorted within the first few hours and then I was given a grad to work with for a few weeks to ease into the work. HR were also very easy to contact if I had any issues too.

I could tell the people at Arup wanted the best for me, so they always tried to push my out of my comfort zone and try new things. This being, going to site and also technical project meetings in London etc. There were also many opportunities to do some extra training which will improve my technical knowledge of specific software.

Once you have experience with Arup they are much ore likely to take you on for either summer placements or a grad role which will save a lot of time and stress in the final year of University. It is pretty normal for a placement student to return to Arup so don't be afraid to ask in your appraisals throughout the year.

There were a lot of social activities with Arup since there are a wide range of ages there. I was always invited to various activities (mainly with the graduates) after work. There were also opportunities to play a wide variety of sports after work and also the end of the month drinks in the office.

I was fortunate to live at home during my placement however, talking to some other placement students, the living costs seemed pretty similar with normal uni accommodation costs (approx £100/week per person). Shopping isn't too expensive either as there are a range of shops around such as Tescos, Sainsburys and Aldi (providing you shop smart).

Arup Campus is located in Solihull. With this, you could either go out to some of the pubs/clubs in Solihull which is close. However, most people mainly went to Digbeth or Birmingham centre which can be pretty expensive in some areas but nothing out of the ordinary with city life. Arup campus are also planning to move to the city centre in a few years which will greatly improve the social life of the office.

Yes, there were countless emails about joining new sports and activities (such as Go-Karting, Football, Cricket and many more) with other people in the office. This was also a great way to try new things and to meet new people in the office. I would recommend trying some of these activities or even organising them!