Project management/NPD Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the placement with Cooper Industries. The people I worked with really made the year.

I worked alongside co-operative and receptive colleagues. I was given responsibility for projects that delivered amounts of cost-savings that were vital to the businesses cost-productivity figures. Through the responisbility i was given, i felt very valued.

I worked directly for a Director for 8months and for the project management manager for the remainder. Both were fantasic resources for advice and guidance as I progressed with my projects. I had regular reviews to discuss my workload and my performance, reflecting on this with them has developed me far more than i thought i could in the space of a year

I was pushed on a regular basis, but if i had too much to do, i'm expected to communicate this. Obviously there has been some days where i've worked extra hours to get work completed for deadlines, but the general balance has been very good as i've almost set my own capacity.

I positioned myself into owning a $160k project that deals with reducing cost of products that we sell in volumes of 2million of per year. I earned the opportunity to do this through demonstarting smaller amounts of responsibility in the first few months.

Engineering-wise, I'll need to brush up on mathematics and theory based studies for my electrical engineering degree, but my personal presentation, confidence, and business awareness has been improved dramatically. This will help with my Masters year and any group final major project that i may have to complete.

The environment is very good, the office has been refurbished and kept in a good condition which definitely makes a difference. The offices are all open plan which helps people feel as though they can quickly drop over to see other people and really encourages a good ethic of communication

I can't fault the scheme that has been set-up by head office, nor can i fault the experiences i was given by my manager.

I have completed the intern scheme through cooper and have been offered a place on their graduate scheme for after i return from university

There were 3/4 of us throughout the year so most socialising was set-up by ourselves.

This can vary depending on the site you are placed in, but where i was, the price was within my means.

I started playing badminton through someone at work and have been for the past year. I lived in loughborough, whose university specialise in sports related degrees/courses so there were lots of opportunities.