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Higherin

Graduate Systems Engineer Review

at Thales

Graduate Scheme

Engineering

Reading

Review Submitted: March 2026

Overall Rating

4.4 /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!

4/5 - Overview of the Role
4.8/5 - Experience & Company Culture
4/5 - Recommendations & Advice

Overview of the Role

Overall, how would you describe your experience at Thales?
I have felt empowered and trusted to get stuck in with work that matters. There is a good graduate community and a lot of potential to drive your development and to find and establish opportunities to shape and develop your career
What are the main responsibilities of the role and which elements of the role do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy developing technical R&D strategy and taking a technical leadership role in R&D development projects across multiple domains
To what extent does your role give you the opportunity to contribute meaningfully and feel valued by your team?
5/5
I have experienced a very flat leadership structure where input from all backgrounds and expertise is encouraged
How does your compensation package - including perks & benefits - fairly remunerate you for the work you do?
3/5
Thales offers a competitive salary with solid perks and benefits, but the pay does not feel very incentive based and I don’t use many of the benefits personally
How well do you feel the role is preparing you for your future career?
4/5
I am happy with the experience I am developing on projects, only improvement would be more drive for training on technical skills
How would you rate the extent to which you were developing new or existing skills through formal training and your day-to-day role?
4/5
I have felt supported in identifying how I want to develop and in aligning workloads to support that

Experience & Company Culture

How is the support you receive?
5/5
No matter how busy people are, they always seem to make time. People don’t just treat you like a cog in a machine
How is your work-life balance?
5/5
I’m satisfied with the annual leave allowance, volunteering allowance and half days/hybrid working
What is the organisational culture, values and general atmosphere like?
4/5
Morale can vary as with any company, but we have a clear set of values which are well enforced
How would you rate Thales initiatives when it comes to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility?
5/5
We have multiple networks dedicated to empowering people of all backgrounds, I feel well supported with my autism here
How would you rate Thales CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives?
5/5
Staff are well encouraged to take part in social impact activitied

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Thales to a friend?
Yes
Why?
You have lots of opportunity to accelerate your career. There are experts in many specialties across the company with ppportunity for mentorships a cross cutting projects. You can learn a lot about how a global industry delivering to numerous customers and shape the career you want
How well did the role match your expectations based on the recruitment process?
4/5
I found the recruitment process a bit clunky and I was initially dissatisfied with my initial role, but I’m extremely happy with the internal mobility and where I have been able to move to
When considering the recruitment & onboarding process, have you any specific tips or advice you would give to others applying to Thales?
Be patient as comms are not very frequent, but enjoy the process and think about what your selling point is for the recruiters
In This Review
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