Undergraduate Engineer Review

Really enjoyed the placement. Felt very well integrated in to the team.

Often helped out on tight deadlines which made me feel valued and my colleagues could always find me a job to help them. My knowledge from university was not used very much but my skills were and I felt these were appreciated by my colleagues. They seemed very pleased to have had me at the end of the placement.

I was given a full induction the first day and my manager took plenty of time in the first week to introduce me to the concepts I was required to understand for the job. My manager then introduced me to a variety of projects and gave me some information to read with the offer to answer any questions I had.

The majority of the time I had a job and when I finished I was found a new one quickly. I never had to stay late to finish. Occasionally I had to spend a few hours reading through previous projects before more work could be found and I could be briefed.

A good level of responsibility but it was managed so I never felt too out of my depth. A fair portion of the jobs I did were fairly low responsibility as my experience didn't allow me to take too much responsibility in the role. This did increase throughout the summer.

The skills I developed will help me at university and beyond. I gained a lot of interpersonal skills and learned how to communicate in a professional manner. I also learnt how projects were run and organised. The knowledge I learned may only be applied if I join the department after graduation.

The atmosphere in the office was very friendly. The team regularly collaborated throughout the working day and there was a supportive atmosphere whenever someone had a question. People interacted a lot within their own team but there was less interaction with other teams. The office was open plan and I was given a desk immediately.

The placement was very well organised. I was contacted with an offer for a department and I chose to ask for a different team. This was organised quickly. I was sent all the details about what to expect on my first day and was expected when I arrived. I went to the wrong building initially- there are 2 on the same street so this could have been made a little clearer. My IT was set up quickly on the first day.

My line manager spent time ensuring I knew what I was doing and senior employees were keen to help me. I received no formal training apart from initial online health and safety training.

The future employment prospects are appealing. Current employees within the company seem to be happy and I could see people progressing to the next level while on my placement. The graduate scheme currently requires graduates to apply to and remain in one department without experiencing other departments. The inclusion of a rotation scheme is something that would significantly increase its appeal.

Placement students in the office met up regularly for lunch. My colleagues also went for lunch together regularly. A BBQ was held while I was there for all staff and this allowed opportunities to meet new people. The team went to the pub on fridays most weeks and I was invited to this.

The cost of living and socialising in the area I worked was high. Drinks were very expensive and this discouraged more social activities. People often bought rounds which sometimes drinks were free and sometimes the cost of an evening was extremely high. I stayed with a friend but still paid rent and as a result a fair portion of my salary was spent on accommodation.

Did not experience a lot of it.

Was invited to play company sports in the evenings.