Manufacturing Engineering Intern Review

The placement was much more enjoyable than I had anticipated, In comparison to other jobs which I have held, I was challenged much more and I felt this gave me the opportunity to thrive.

My team were very welcoming and I certainly did not feel like an outsider during my placement. At the start of my placement I was unsure how much I was going to be able to contribute to the team, as I had not had a summer placement before. However, soon I was able to have discussions with the team and assist them with their problems.

My supervisor went out of her way to ensure that I was given all of the support I required. She explained tasks well and I felt comfortable asking questions throughout my placement without feeling like a nuisance.

This varied throughout my placement, in the beginning I did not have much to do however as I became a valued member of the team my responsibilities increased.

The placement gave me an insight into how some of what I learn in university is used in industry. I feel that this will enhance my learning for the rest of my studies as I will have a more thorough understanding of how it is used in real life. I actively sought out tasks which I felt would compliment my degree.

The office had a good balance between work and having fun. The office was relaxed and we were able to openly speak up and ask questions whenever necessary. I felt encouraged when other members of the team would speak up and ask questions, because then I realised that it wasn't just me as an intern that had lots of questions!

Unfortunately, my placement was in a different location to what had been specified in my internship offer. This was something which I only discovered from my supervisor a week before starting, after I had booked accommodation in my original location. This led to a number of difficulties throughout my placement, primarily the additional time on my day due to travelling which could be 2-3 hours. I felt that my placement tasks were fairly well planned and I had enough work to keep me busy. However, my experience was certainly dampened by the issues with the placement location.

As a company, I don't feel like I was given many opportunities to develop myself. The only training I could complete was online and I feel that it is difficult to gain a lot from this. However, a Manufacturing Engineering Intern day was organised which showed us all of the applications of Manufacturing Engineering within the company. This was very interesting and gave me a deeper understanding of where I could go in my career.

I would be open to completing another summer internship, however I am slightly apprehensive following my location issues this year. I am sure that another internship would still be a great learning experience though.

There is an organisation set up to help apprentices, interns and graduates to socialise. However, I felt that this was more suited to people completing longer placements than just 10 weeks.

This was more expensive that were I currently live. This would again put me off further work within the company, as it took a large chunk out of the money which I earned during the placement.