Hardware Design Engineering Intern Review

I throughly enjoyed working in Cwmbran as an hardware design engineer. The role was engaging and allowed me to learn how a major R&D department functions. The placement allowed me to learn about the development of new productions from the initial design spec to manufacturing the product. I gained knowledge outside the scope of my degree which I deem to be invaluable when searching for employment in the future.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues, they were always on hand to assist me and vice versa when they required my help. It was clear from the amount of e-stars I accumulated for my work on my placement year that I was valued by my peers and pushed me to continue working hard for the company.

My manager had a relaxed managerial style which I preferred all in all. I was allowed to come into work everyday and proceed with my tasks without much supervision. Whenever I required help my manager would always be on hand to answer any questions I may have regarding my work and would always point me in the right direction.

I worked on 3 major projects during my time with Eaton. The amount of work I recieved or the tasks I would be given depended on what stage of development the product was in and if there were any issues with product I could investigate. I had a long term project which is what I would be working on daily when I had no high priority tasks to complete

In terms of responsibility I was held accountable for all projects and tasks I was working on as well as any documentation I had to complete. During the first 3 months of my placement I had a massive responsibility given to me by accompanying a VoCall16 system to EMC testing everyday for 3 weeks and expected to come back at the ending of testing with a pass. This was critical stage in the project and one I had to deliver on my own.

The skills and knowledge I have acquired on my placement were extremely valuable. I will now take this knowledge and directly apply what I have learnt when working towards my final year project. The experience I have gained during my year with eaton will give me a step up over the competition when applying for future jobs.

The atmosphere in the office was relaxed which is not what I was expecting. You could go up to anyone in the office and just have friendly chat or consult them on any projects I was working on. At times the office was quiet and not much conversation would occur however this let me complete my work without distractions

The internship was organised extremely well. I felt like an employee rather an intern and that is down to the expectations Eaton place on there interns from day 1. I enjoyed and benefited from attending the workshops throughout the year. They were fun, engaging and I learnt a lot of how I could maximise my time with the company.

The R&D department invested in its employees by bringing in external companies to come in the office and give seminars and training on products which could be beneficial to the department . I was always invited to these sessions and get like I had benefited from the training. The department also set bi-weekly workshops where employees in the department could disperse there knowledge to the other employees in the department. I always attended these work shops.

I am currently unaware of any opportunities of the progression from the role I worked as on my placement year. In terms of the departments structure I could see that there were many opportunities to progress to a principle engineer or a managerial role. There were also opportunities to progress sideways to a new area of the business as oppose to progressing upwards

Myself and the interns who were also working at the Cwmbran site developed a strong bond and we would often plan out of work activities. This was the case for existing employees at the site. Everyone on site were very friendly and would strike up a casual conversation with you.

The cost of living in Newport was quite cheap. I had to find accommodation as part of a house share with was good as bills were included as part of the rent. The location of the house was convenient as it was only a ten minute drive from work and saved me money on petrol costs

The nightlife in Newport was average if I am honest. There was only one good club in the city which had a decent saturday night out. However, Cardiff was the place to go and I frequently went there to enjoy the nightlife the city had to offer. Cardiff was about 20 mins from Newport and was easy to get to.

The site were involved in a 5-a-side football league. I joined the league and started to play for the team every Tuesday. Other than this there weren't many opportunities to get involved in an activity outside of work. A badminton club was set up but was discontinued after the Christmas break.