Control Systems Placement Student Review

by British Sugar

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

Rating

3.8/5
  • The Role
    4.5
  • The Company
    3.5
  • The Culture
    3.1

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • So far it's had its ups and downs, but the amount of responsibility and support from colleagues along with the steep learning curve has made this a very rewarding experience.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • 4/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • Meetings with managers at least every 1-2 weeks, often more, made a big difference.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • Have enough projects to know what I'll be doing 1-2 months down the line. Also have a selection of smaller non-time-critical projects/tasks that I can fit in during quieter periods.

    5/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I am responsible for my own projects.

    5/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • Lean sigma yellowbelt training is really valuable: it's recognised by lots of engineering companies in the UK and the skills you get from it help you to manage projects efficiently. Communication skills have significantly improved since starting: the job has required me to approach others for their help and expertise; present my work, and liase with suppliers.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • Most people in my office travel to the different factories often so the office can get very quiet.

    2/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • The nature of your work depends a lot on your manager. I'm very happy to have projects which allow me to plan my own work and (most of the time) set my own deadlines. Some of the other placement students have had different experiences: some may have lots of routine tasks, others may have a lot of small tasks assigned to them by their manager whenever they come up.

    4/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • A lot of time has been invested. Even when your managers are really busy, they will put aside the time to help you.

    5/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Subsidised Canteen

    Company Car

    National Travel

    Company Parties/Events
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • We have an assessment centre next July. The graduate scheme looks good: graduates are based at one of the factories and their time is split between projects and learning about different aspects of the manufacturing process in detail. Whether to commit two and a half years for the graduate scheme is a very big decision, haven't made up my mind just yet.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • All the placement students across the four sites get on well. We don't get to meet up as often as we'd like because the sites are very spread out but every now and again we meet up for a night out in one of the towns. We have specialist days where all placement students spend a day at a factory and learn about what goes on there. I go to sites quite often as part of my job so get to meet up with people then as well.

    5/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Pay £370 pcm for rent and bills for a double room in a house 5 minutes away from the office. If you're letting a room individually and have more flexibility about location then it's easy to find somewhere cheaper.

    4/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Peterborough has a number of bars but nothing that would compare to a university town.

    1/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Peterborough has a lot of gyms and sport clubs; there's a new watersports centre opening in spring next year.

    4/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

East of England

November 2013

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