Supportability Engineer - Maritime & Land Defence Solutions Review

Item: Supportability Engineer - Maritime & Land Defence Solutions at BAE Systems
Rating: 4.4
Author: Anonymous

at BAE Systems

Placement (10 Months+)

Engineering

Portsmouth

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!

5/5 - Overview of Role

4.5/5 - Skills Development

5/5 - Support and Guidance

4/5 - Company Culture

4/5 - 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.

I work within the Support Hub where I am responsible for ensuring the effective operation and support of complex systems on HM Warships. I am allocated Supportability Engineering Tasks to which I act accordingly to finish such tasks. Day-to-day, I will work on these tasks as well as some Stretch work and University work.

Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?

In the beginning, I was trained quite extensively to ensure that I understood the softwares and processes of Support Engineering Tasks. For the first 5 months, the work was kept with smaller tasks with on-hand support to guide me through, but towards the 6 month mark, I was allocated a large and meaningful task which was a lot of responsibility.

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?

I have learnt a multitude of skills. Generally speaking, I have developed my resilience, integrity, aspiration and so on. More specifically, I have bettered my knowledge of Engineering (my degree was design based), data handling and how to manage large tasks effectively. Skills more specifically relevant to the softwares used have also been developed, but are less transferrable.

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

4/5

Support and Guidance

How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?

I received a lot of guidance, help and support from: other Graduates in the mentoring programme, my team and Line Managers and the Early Careers Team. In terms of work, there are a multitude of Engineers on the team ready and willing to help with whatever queries as well as personal issues. Having support from other graduates for personal development was also available and insightful. The early careers team was very easy to reach, very invested in your aspirations, career choices, development, and health.

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?

The company culture is very supportive. Not only do they give you aid in terms of your day job (depending on your team - mine did), but they also allow you to take on Stretch Assignments from anywhere in the business to help broaden your understanding of the company and investigate possible future career paths. It was (in my opinion) the perfect split between ensuring all work is completed promptly to a high standard and a low-stress environment (like hybrid working - some teams do not offer)

How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?

5/5

How would you rate the social opportunities?

4/5

How would you rate the diversity initiatives?

3/5

How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?

4/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?

At the beginning of my placement, I was not so keen on the location of the job and I felt rather lonely in the office. However, as time progressed and I learnt the job better, became more confident to reach out to colleagues and found a healthy work-life balance, my enjoyment increased dramatically. Sometimes it may take a little time to settle in before feeling like a contributing member of the team and to branch out to co-workers to improve your work environment. Now, at the end of my placement, I am enjoying myself.

Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship

4/5

Please rate how your experience met your expectations

4/5

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?

Yes

What advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems

Make sure you read the job description, location and nationality restrictions. Ensure that you have a good understanding of what the business does and more specifically, the business unit you're applying to. Maintain an open mind and be open to new experiences and ways of working, it is very different to university. Take on stretch assignments in different business units and attend social/networking events as much as you can as this will give you a better insight into the company as a whole and will help you create good relationships (friendships and work-friendships). Be friendly and personable in your interview and ensure that you have done any necessary work prior to the meeting. This is an excellent company with a lot of support to help you begin your career, they also can offer graduate roles subject to availability and performance.