Industrial Placement Review

Most days start with a stand up where the team discusses progress, highlights any blockers and picks up new pieces of work. It's a good chance to stay aligned and raise anything that needs input from others. A lot of the day involves working with other engineers on calls, especially those who are more experienced, to help understand the task at hand or troubleshoot issues. Once I’ve picked up a piece of work, I focus on getting it delivered in time for the next production window.

Yes, I was given a good amount of responsibility during my placement. I worked on a year long project where I was responsible for a key area that formed the foundation for the rest of the engineers to begin their work. It felt great knowing that my work had a real impact, and it motivated me to complete as many tasks as I could to help the overall project move forward. Having that level of trust early on really helped me grow and take ownership of what I was delivering.

I’ve developed both my technical and soft skills during this placement. I came in with limited knowledge of SQL, but I had the chance to apply it regularly and produce work that actually went live into production, which really helped me grow in confidence. On the soft skills side, I had to work on my presenting skills, something I wasn’t very confident with before. It was great to push myself outside my comfort zone, and now I feel much more comfortable presenting in front of others.
I also got to work with several stakeholders across the business, which helped me improve how I communicate and collaborate with different people.

The support and guidance I received during my placement was really good. As a team, we placed a lot of emphasis on our stand ups, which became a key part of staying connected and supporting each other. My team was especially supportive and they were always happy to share their knowledge and help out when I had questions. Over time, I built strong relationships with my teammates through those regular catch-ups, and it made me feel confident to ask for help whenever I needed it.

The culture at Nationwide is great, with a strong emphasis on making a positive impact in society. One of the highlights for me was getting the chance to volunteer and help empower young people from low socio economic backgrounds to consider career in tech. That side of the culture was really rewarding, and overall, the atmosphere has been very friendly, supportive, and inclusive.

I really enjoyed my placement — it was a very rewarding experience, especially getting to work with several different teams across the business. It gave me a lot of exposure to how things work in a real-world setting and helped me learn from people with different experiences and skillsets.

Yes