Engineering Intern Review

I found the work very enjoyable throughout the year. The work was varied, allowing me to tackle a wide range of tasks, and meaning that I was never bored, as there was always something new to take on. The work was of a sufficient level that I could progress it on myself, but at the same time challenging enough to force me to think for myself.

Over my year I worked across several different teams, and in each one I was able to integrate into the team very quickly. My colleauges were appreciative of the work that I carried out, and I was never asked to do simple menial tasks. They were all very focused on my development, and were willing to be flexable in order to help me achieve my goals.

My managers were always willing to help me, and insured that I held regular 1:1 meetings to give progress updates and to ensure that everything was progressing well. My current supervisor on any task was alway very willing to stop what they were doing and help me out if required, and the Early Careers HR team were very quick to answer any questions and smooth out any admin creases,

I could be as busy as I wanted to be. There was always plenty of suitable work to be completed, and as soon as I finished a task, all I had to do was ask for new work. On the other hand much of the work I completed did not have specific deadlines, so if I wanted I could have a more relaxing day and take it easy.

My responsablitiy varied through the year. At the start of each attachement it was fairly small, and I was given smaller tasks with more frequent supervison by more senior engineers, but towards the end I was managing my own projects and in some cases leading a smaller team to progress a type of assessment. Again it was all very flexable, and you could ask for as little or as much responsibility as you wanted.

I think that the skills I have picked up on this year will be very applicable to later life. Moving around different teams has deffinitely improved my teamwork skills, which will be useful for future work, and also for the group design projects in the remainder of my degree. I also have picked up lots of technical skills, building on those I learnt in my first two years of university.

There was a very relaxed atmosphere, with people always willing to have a sociable chat, but then also aware that work needed to be done during the day as well. Even when everybody was working, there was a level of general chatter as people asked work related question that made for a god working atmosphere.

Very well, the advantage of working for such a large company that takes on many interns each year is that they have the process very slick. From the day I was given the offer, to my final day in the office, I was always made aware of what was going to be the next step, and the necessary actions needed from me. The Early Careers Team were also very helpful and quick to answer any question.

Over the course of the year, I completed six or seven training courses, one of them taking up a whole week. At Rolls-Royce there is a key focus on attracting future talent and then retaining it through to graduate level and beyond, so the company is not afraid to spend time and resource on you. All the managers are also very flexible if you want to move around the business to get a greater exposure and to meet your development needs

Very, Rolls-Royce is such a large company that covers such a large area of engineering that you could do many different jobs in differnet industry areas all under the Rolls-Royce Umbrella. Also as they are keen on investing in future talent, they want you to return to their graduate scheme and then a full time role with them, and from what I have seen from my internship, it is a very good place to work.

Being such a large company, there are over 200 interns employed every year. This means that there is a very active social seen, with Rolls-Royce running its own social club aimed at interns and graduates. this club organises activities such as go-karting and paintballing at hugely subsidised rates. The teams I worked in were also all very sociable, organising meals out and office pub quizzes on a regular basis.

Derby is a very cheap place to live and socialise. most places offered student rates, as Derby is a university town, and rent for a studen house was much less that I was used to paying where I was studying.

Being a university town, there was a wide range of nightlife, with various club nights on every day of the week in the town centre, and also a good range of pubs and bars. Derby prides itself on being the ale capital of the UK, and the number of real ale bars in the town centre reflects this. There are also a huge selection of authentic curry houses, and also a good range of more upmarket restaurants.

Derby is a decent sized city, and as a result has a lot to offer from a sporting perspective. There are numerous gyms and tennis clubs, a decent driving range and with the opening of the new Derby Arena, a great oppertunity to get involved in Track Cycling. The Peak District is only a 25 minute drive away, offering miles or walking trails, and a huge bouldering scene. There are also several paintball arenas, go kart tracks and dry ski slopes within a 40 minute drive.