Geospatial Intelligence Team Member Review

by Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

2.4/5
  • The Role
    3.1
  • The Company
    2.0
  • The Culture
    1.8

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • The placement had both high points and low points. As I was working with a team based in Area 2 of Building 5, I was not able to have a desk with them, and was placed in a lab away from the team. This made communicating with them when I needed help difficult. I enjoyed working on a single project over the time I was there, rather than flitting between tasks, and the placement improved as I made progress through the project.

    3/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I felt the team valued my presence, but as I was situated on a different floor in the building to them I did not have much contact with them. Apart from my 'mentor' in the team, I rarely saw them. However, when I delivered my work at the end of the internship I received good feedback and have been told it will be used as the basis of further work in the subject area.

    3/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My supervisor on my project did his best to see me as often as possible, on a daily basis at the business end of the project. He was also happy to just talk to me in down time, helping me feel more at ease and comfortable at work.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • I had periods where I was busy, however I also sometimes found myself unoccupied for large parts of the day. I feel I could have achieved more if I was pushed with a greater workload.

    3/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was largely left to my own devices to work out what to do on my project, and was the sole producer of the work and presentations delivered at the end. Having this presentation at the end of the project to the team and group members definitely benefited me and made me feel like I had been trusted to deliver something and had done so.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I have gained skills in Python and Perl coding, which hopefully will be of use. The confidence I have gained from presenting my work to a group of people, each with a business interest in my work, will make it easier to present to my peers at University. It has also given me an idea of what is necessary to know working in S&T.

    3/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The office was very quiet, with people not really inviting conversation or engaging me with their work.

    2/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • There were a number of students working at the company, each of whom seemed to have support in their placement. The placement of students in one lab seemed planned to prevent isolation, which partially worked.

    3/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • I did not receive any personal training, and had to work out new applications and programmes on my own, when I may have benefited from support.

    1/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • There are a range of different areas Dstl deal in, and I have asked to keep in contact in case opportunities come up.

    3/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • There wasn't really any contact with people out of working hours.

    1/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • I stayed at home, but the bus and rail travel to the sight seemed expensive.

    2/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Cannot really comment, as I stayed at home during the placement

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There were gym facilities available, but in my 2 months it did not seem worth using.

    2/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

South West

September 2013


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