Intern Review
by Metaswitch Networks
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
4.2
-
The Company
4.0
-
The Culture
2.9
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I really enjoyed the work, but I may have had too long there. The fact that I was returning to university straight after my placement meant that I was looking forward to the end of the placement despite enjoying my time workiong.
The project I was doing had been suggested before I arrived as a useful tool, so I felt like I was producing something that would actually be used.
Whenever I had a problem, my mentor would always drop what he was doing to help me. However, both my manager and mentor were on holiday for my first week, so I was given a different mentor for the first week.
I always had a lot to do, but I was never overloaded. As long as my mentor or manager knew I was going to run out of work, I was never bored.
The tool I created will probably be used internally, but it is not essential - something similar already existed, I was just makking a more intuitive version.
I learnt a lot about producing a large program and the planning that involves. I also had several communication skills assessments which will be useful for anything I do during and after my degree.
The Company
There was a budget for morale, which meant that we went to the pub once every two weeks or so, plus a meal and a Fringe show once. Everyone was friendly and willingto help each other.
The overall organisation for all the interns seemed incredible, but there were slight problems for me individually. I did not receive an information letter before the placement as everyone else seemed to, but only got a contract. Also, my mentor was on holiday for my first week and my manager was away for my first two weeks. This meant that I didn't settle in as quickly as I would have otherwise.
I was allowed to choose how my project developed based on which skills I wanted to learn rather than the preferences of someone else. My methods of working and communicating were assessed and the feedback will be very useful for future work.
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
I particularly enjoy working on user interfaces, which is not a big part of what Metaswitch do, so I probably woudn't work there. If I changed my mind, it would be a great place to work.
The Culture
I lived with three othewr interns, and we met up with the other four at least every week.
Edinburgh is expensive, especially over the Fringe, but it's worth it.
I didn't really check.
There was a little bit - some football, and some people went running/to the gym - but not much.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Computer Science
Scotland
September 2012
