Mechanical Engineering Industrial Placement Review
at BAE Systems
Placement (10 Months+)
Mechanical Engineering
Portsmouth
Review Submitted: August 2021
Overall Rating
4.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
4.8/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
Support and Guidance
4.8/5
-
Company Culture
5/5
-
Overall Experience
5/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
No two days were the same. I worked in mechanical design (AutoCAD), R and D, and research for marketing purposes. Each project brought its own challenges which helped me to develop and gain a lot of skills that I had not been able to use as much while at university. Working from home also meant I had to be more proactive in sourcing help from experienced engineers in my team. A very enjoyable experience.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
Yes. Any task that I was given was part of an ongoing project. I was fortunate to be able to see the end product from some of my work while at the company, e.g. designing parts on AutoCAD and then seeing them after they had been manufactured! When given a new task, my managers always explained to me how my work will fit into the bigger picture of the project.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
AutoCAD, R&D, equipment calibration, self-management (emphasised by working from home), communication, teamwork, presenting, project management
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
4/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
5/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
Due to working from home, I believe this was different to what it may have otherwise been. It was my responsibility to source help from other engineers as most people were working remotely. When I did raise this, the help/guidance I received was excellent. I was able to talk through my problem with an experienced engineer and was guided towards a potential solution.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
5/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
5/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
My experience of it is very positive. I was welcomed to the team and made to feel like a valued member of, not only the team, but the company as a whole too. One thing in particular that I really appreciated and valued was the work they did to promote International Women in Engineering Day. I am grateful to have been able to be a part of helping to organise this.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
5/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
4/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
5/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
Coming into the company in the middle of the pandemic, I was very anxious as I didn't know what to expect. Now, at the end of my placement, I can confidently say that the placement/company exceeded any expectations that I had. The variety of work/people I was able to work with was something which I really enjoyed, and I hope to return the company at some point in the future.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at BAE Systems
5/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems
Don't hesitate to apply! There are opportunities to move between different projects if you inform your manager what you would like to work on. When applying, understand the company values and explain what you could bring to the company, as well as how the company can help you in terms of achieving your career goals.
