Student Intern Review

I spent an amazing 7 weeks with Arup. I contributed on many of their tasks, from meeting with clients to technical CFD projects on their large scale projects to gaining invaluable knowledge and experience from their regular in-office seminars.

I was extremely sad to be leaving the Arup office on the final day of my placement. I had become good friends with all of the team that I had been working with and had become involved with regular activities such as 5-a-side football. At no point during my placement did I feel like I was not a valued member of the team and this was reflected in the tasks that they asked me to complete. I was also helped by constant guidance and help whenever I required it and no one was ever reluctant to give me a hand.

I couldn't have asked for better guidance during the course of my placement. From the first day to the last day the entire team was always prepared to help answer any questions that I had. This did not only include help regarding the projects that I was completing but also the tough career choices that lay ahead of me.

Not only was I given plenty of work to do, but the work was of a perfect difficulty to constantly challenge me, without asking too much of my ability. The work itself also varied a lot. Although some of the work inevitably involved working at a computer, I was also given exposure to the other sides of the job, such as numerous site visits, client meetings and visits to other offices.

The work that I completed was always inspected after its completion. Sometimes, this involved one of the other team members providing me with feedback on ways to improve. However, on other occasions, what I had completed was also used in meetings with clients and staff from other offices to show the work that Arup had been undertaking. I was certainly given the impression that the work that I completed was valued and the team were prepared to allow me to get involved in the tasks that required responsibility.

I consider the skills that I learned on this placement to certainly be skills gained for life. Not only did I extremely enjoy my 7 weeks with Arup, but my time their has also allowed me to continue forward with them with a graduate job to begin shortly after I finish at university. For this reason, the skills that I picked up will certainly be vital for when this job starts.

Above all, the atmosphere in the office was extremely professional. All the team members were extremely efficient in their work and I was aware that they all took their job seriously and took pride in the work that they produced. However, this is not to say that I did not enjoy my time in the office. There was rarely a quiet moment and it was often a fun, and always comfortable, environment to work in.

From day one of my placement, I was provided with relevant work to do. I was given short term projects that could take me any time up to a week to complete. In between completing these projects, I was given a couple of long term projects that allowed me to have a continuous supply of work to be getting on with. This resulted in a seamless experience for me and I am delighted to say that the placement went without a single hiccup.

I was given help and advice whenever I asked for it, and the staff were always happy to help. I was given the opportunity to attend numerous technical seminars (some given by Arup's world leading engineers, some given by external industry specialists) that allowed me to develop knowledge and experience that I would have otherwise certainly been without.

Future employment prospects within the organisation are incredibly appealing. So much so that, upon completing my placement, I was offered a graduate position with Arup, for which I begin shortly after my graduation next year.

Aside from the workplace, I was able to socialise with the other team members very regularly. This included weekly 5-a-side football, going for meals, going to the pub and a couple of evenings out. I really enjoyed this part of the job as it allowed me to get to know the other staff more and actually become friends with them, something that I never would have expected in such a short space of time.

As a student living in Manchester, I was already renting a house with my friends over the summer months. For this reason, the accommodation was extremely cheap (£60pw) with only a small amount on top of this for travel to and from work each day. I found it extremely easy to make friends with the other staff and extremely enjoyed the time that I spent socialising with them.

I am living in Manchester for my 4th year now and have always loved the nightlife here. There is something for everyone and you will never have a dull weekend.

There were countless opportunities to become involved with. The Arup University initiative allows any staff member to get to grips with almost anything that they can think of.