Development Engineer Review

Overall, it was a good experience and I definitely enjoyed it. Was a great insight in to the company and the world of civil aerospace but was just lucky that it was a busy period for the project and there was always plenty of work that was needing done. Even got some good hands on experience and got to see a lot of engine hardware.

Worked with a great bunch of people within the sub team I was in and was usually asked to take on any extra tasks when they were overburdened with work.

Mentor was excellent and I could've asked them anything and they would've been able to steer me in the right direction. They encouraged me to push my self and I would end of taking on tasks that I normally would've considered to be out of my comfort zone. Their feedback was very helpful and pointed out areas where I can improve and develop my skills for the future.

Initially the first couple of weeks were quite slow with only simple tasks to do so days felt pretty long as I generally didn't have much to do. The rest of internship I was having to come in early and work til late on to try and get my tasks done so it really depends. Also, due to the nature of the department I was in, something else would usually crop up within a few hours of getting in to the office which could end up taking the whole day the get through. So basically I was either really busy or had very little to do.

A lot of the tasks I was given are jobs that would've needed to completed regardless whether I was there are not. Was pretty much doing the same sort of stuff as most of the full-time engineers there, with more emphasis on work that needed to be done in the short term as I was only there for 10 weeks.

Didn't necessarily use the in-depth knowledge gained during my studies, but working in this business definitely gave me a better insight in to the real world application of what I was learning at university. The most useful skills you develop are from working in an office culture and dealing with people on a day to day basis whilst working as a team to try and achieve the project targets.

Quite a young office so it was more relaxed than I expected which was good. There was always social events going on and a healthy amount of cake to go around!

My HR careers consultant was very helpful and was able to help me out with any questions I had and I was also lucky to have great IT support and had no issues regarding set up. My mentor had tasks for my do as soon as I started and allowed me to get settled in.

I attended weekly training sessions for some of the software that was used in the department. Also got training on how to use various pieces equipment so I felt like the company was definitely committed to my future if I decided to come back.

Still have 2 years of university left so I was recommended for a further internship. Only issue is that I feel like the graduate program is quite poor compared to the other major UK engineering employers, and there is a lack of opportunity for international experience.

Yes, went out with a few of the interns on my office floor and met up at the weekends. There's also an Apprentice/Graduate/Intern club which have social events most weekends but you should definitely stay in the halls allocated by Rolls-Royce for interns if you want a good social experience.

Cost of living was pretty much UK standard. Rent is what you would expect from private university type halls so only issue is that a decent night out would cost a fortune!

Derby is alright but if you end up working there, I'd recommend going out on Saturdays as its a lot busier than Friday nights. Because it was summer, there wasn't as many students as usual. We had a night out in Nottingham which is only like 20 mins away and was a lot better, you can just get the bus back after the club closes.

Definitely, I played 7-a-side football every week, and there's other sports clubs you can get involved with as well. They give you a full list at the induction day so make sure to ask someone.