Undergraduate Special Projects Engineer Review

I found the year very enjoyable. The projects I worked on were very different to anything I had previously experienced, and the work varied day-to-day, helping to keep the job interesting.

Everyone was really supportive in the early stages while I found my feet, helping to introduce me to the ongoing projects and general company procedures. I worked as part of a small team on relatively large projects, working solely on meaningful tasks with plenty of support available as required.

My manager and supervisor were both very helpful, ensuring that I had work to do and providing support as required, also providing feedback to assist with my development.

I had plenty of work to do for most of the year, with some more stressful periods and some quieter periods as is natural. The busier periods helped me learn to manage my time efficiently, organising tasks by their priority.

I was given a progressively increasing level of responsibility over the year as my skills developed, generally working on a similar level to my colleagues. I was entrusted with a variety of challenging tasks, forming part of large projects. I felt very much as though I was a valuable asset to the company.

The technical skills I developed over the year built on those I had learned through my degree and gave me a valuable opportunity to apply these to real-world projects. I also developed a plethora of non-technical skills through day-to-day work, helping me to develop as a person as well as an engineer.

A nice working environment overall. All of my colleagues were friendly, with a good mix of characters. There was an appropriate level of chat in the office, allowing work to be completed, while also preventing dullness.

Generally flowed through very well from the application process to the final day. Procedures were in place to help track my progress over the year and communication was always very good.

The majority of my training was effectively 'on-the-job', as I was given a lot of trust working on aspects of large projects, which was very beneficial in my development as a professional engineer. I was also given additional training in several other areas, including CAD, presentations and various company procedures.

I was offered an extension to my contract, enabling me to continue working over the summer until I went back to university. Although nothing is in place as yet, employment prospects for the future are good, and I would personally be more than happy to return as a graduate.

There was a good social scene between all of the undergraduates at Millbrook. I stayed in a shared house of four, and we regularly met up with the others for nights out etc.

Generally cheap, with Bedford being a student town. Accommodation was also very good value, with Millbrook offering a limited number of spaces in two shared houses at around £300 per month.

Nightlife in Bedford isn't terrible, but also isn't the best. You can certainly have a good time for very little money at student prices. Milton Keynes is also close, giving a bit more choice.

There was a good amount of opportunity to get involved through Millbrook's Sports and Social club, as well as other events arranged independently from the company. There was generally a willingness from other undergraduates to arrange and attend events, so there's plenty to do if you put the effort in.