Engineering Intern Review

Cooper is a fantastic company to work for no matter what your studies are in. I was in the first group of interns who worked here under a new scheme which included training days and oppotunaties to travel around the world.

I was well accepted into the business and people knew that i was very new to this industry. Everyone took their time to help me and when i started to feel more comfortable they made an effort to accomodate that. So basically as i progressed my colleagues did also.

i was given support all the way. There was a point of throwing you into the deep end but this helps you to help yourself by finding out what you need to know. Even if i didn't understand something my colleagues would always make time for me to answer my questions or to help.

I always ad enough to do but there were occasions where i could only do so much. I would be waiting for something from an external company to arrive so stopped me from carrying on with that project but more often than not there would be something else for me to continue with. Sometimes though i would ask for something else but then sometimes i didn't want to take on another project just to fill an afternoon becuase then the work load would become too much.

Especially on my second part of my placement i would help to find drawings, documents or help solve problems from staff on the shop floor. This meant that they could not carry on their job until i had done mine. Also the design of a new product which i did on my own meant that this was mine and could not contine until i said so of approved any part of it.

I learnt so much here on my placement. Things which i never knew and probably would never have known. These can be put towards my degree in order to further my skills as a designer and can be applied to anything which i go on to design. Not just light fittings.

There were times when the office was a bit quiet but when it wasn't quiet people would talk about work and make talking about work fun. Whether it was getting someones opinion about something or help. Or even asking to borrow a screwdriver and someone would make a joke or a reference to something funny. This is one thing that i really enjoyed as it appeals to my sense of humour.

This was the first time Cooper had run an internship program like this so there were goign to be some teething problems but there was nothing that really caused major problems. I have just completed my milestone day to roound off the placement year in which we were given the oppotunity to have our say on what we think Cooper could do to improve the program. All of the suggestions were taken on board and i think that will be changed.

The company invested a lot in me. It was more time and experiance though. For the training there were investmesnt such as hotels, food and drink but my time here i have gained so much much knowledge in the design and mechanical industry that if the company hadn't paid me i would have come out with more than just money.

Cooper have run for many years a graduate program which has great oppotunities. I however, have opted out of it due to my age and the fact it means 4 6 month placements around the world. This does appeal to me but i need to concentrate my efforts into a career in which i wish to pursue before i hit 30. I have got the option to apply for a job here again but this wouldn't be part of the graduate scheme.

There was a good social scene amongst people i worked with. This was all however organised which no connection to the company. Whether it was the Christmas party or a 6 a side football team which i played for. There is also a 5 a side football day which again is organised by two of the shop floor staff. This is perfect for me as i am really into my football.

Doncaster is a cheap place to live and there are plenty of places to go and socialise. However it is not the nicest of places to live. Through a couple of experiances i have had living here i ca say that i would never live here again.

Doncaster has many good bars, resturants and clubs however the mix of people that go out here i believe makes it a bit seedy and unattractive. I have seen more fights, police riot vans and people causing trouble than anywhere else i have been on a night out. Ihave been out in nearly every city in England and never seen as much trouble as i have here. Luckily Sheffield and Leeds are not too far away.

There some oopotunitites but again i got myself involved with football which was run by people from work. Itself however was a good oppotunity to meet people who work here who i would not have normally been involved with through my immediate job.