This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 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
Great variety of projects to work on and both theoretical and hands on work.
My colleagues were always interested in viewing and discussing the results produced from my work. This made me feel that my work was important and appreciated.
Someone would always be willing to spend 5-10 minutes guiding me if I needed any help. My team leader would also regularly check my progress and provided any direction if it was needed.
There was always something to do and plenty of opportunities to try something different.
I was responsible for the delivery of a modeling project. Help was only given if necessary or during reviews.
I gained a wide range of skills from high energy physics computing, Matlab, trails experience and the opportunity to conduct interviews on subject matter experts to gather information on different topics. This was particularly useful as it has enabled be to extract information more efficiently and also react to different types of people.
The Company
There were a couple of jokers in the office to brighten things up
Every year Dstl has Industrial Placement Students, YINI students and summer students so they are well setup to help you hit the floor rolling when you join.
I had the opportunity to attend any courses that were relevant to my work. Members of my team also put aside time to help teach me the high energy physics computing package that I used.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Above 25 days holiday
I have the opportunity to conduct a further summer placement.
The Culture
All of Dstl's main sites have an organization that brings new starters together for a variety of social trips, meals, sports etc.
On the outskirts of London so rent is a tad dearer but the cost of living is about the same as anywhere.
Plenty of bars and pubs around the area but to go on nights out the best place to go is further up into London which is easy with the good bus and tube/train services in London.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Science
South East
August 2013