Test Engineer Review

My placement was a great oppurtunity to get an insight into the world of joint reconstruction. I have been worked with many different departments and levels of management during my time here. I have also developed a number of transferable skills that I can use back at University and for future job applcations.

From day one I was treated like a full time member of staff. This is not only by the department but also throughout the company. i was also given a great amount of responsibility and trusted to perform tasks important for the company. This gives a great sense of acheivement when accomplished.

I was assigned a mentor (recent graduate) which was really useful. I knew I could ask my mentor anything work related or otherwise which was nice expecially when moving to a new city. I met with my line manager and mentor once a week for a catch up meeting and I could talk with my manager/mentor at any time in the office.

Due to the nature of the job in test lab, some days were busier than others. This is not due to poor management in our department but due to testing schedules of experiments. Generally I had more than enough to keep me busy with side projects running in the background. Some days would be very busy and these are often the ones that I enjoyed the most as there was a really good sense of acheivement.

I was given the same amount of responsibility as an entry level test engineer (i.e. a graduate). This meant i got a really good idea of what I could expect if I was to work here as a graduate and also gave me a lot of exposure to the 'average day in the office' for a professional.

Hugely, the technical skills I have developed will be used throughout the remainder of my studies. My placement has also given me vision to complete my studies as I know now where/what job I want to pursue after graduation. I have also developed transferable skills such as word processing and data analysis. I have gained a lot of experience in how to work in a business environment and work professionally.

The office is very friendly, everyone is very approachable and happy to talk about anything (work related or otherwise!). I have found it easy to make friends at work and have been involved in a number of social events with people from the office.

I think the general organisation of the placement was good. From the beginning we agreed on goals to acheive by the end of the year, which i have acheived. Due to the nature of my department it was difficult ot get involved in big projects, however, I have been happy with the work I have been given. The admin/induction work at the beginning of my placement could have been better organised but I am sure this will come with more experience.

I was given the oppurtunity to attend an anatomy course run by Leeds University which developed my anatomy knowledge. I was trained on all laboratory machines I may need to use.

I would love to work for DePuy Synthes again and feel the contacts I have made during my time here will be useful if I apply for the graduate scheme.

There was a really good social scene amongst fellow placement students. We have organised a number of events and often meet up at work. The social scene amongst colleagues is less prelevant but despite this we have still done a number of events as a team.

Living just outside Leeds (in Headingley) in a new build 5 bed house (with spare room and inc bills) all with en suites cost c. £400 pcm. Much cheaper housing is available in the local area as there are a lot of students in Leeds. As such the night life etc is cheap as it is aimed at students.

The nightlife in Leeds is very diverse and busy! It is one of the best nights out in the country in my opinion and there are also plenty of student nights out towards Headingley near the University.

Having lived with other placement students, we oragnised a number of activities between ourselves. I got to take part in a charity hike during work time as part of the CSR work the business does.