Student Engineer Review

I joined Arcadis as a Student Engineer in their Structural Engineering team, operating under the companies wider Water Optimisation team. Day-to-day this looks like carrying out lots of calculations to ensure the safety and structural stability of a wide variety of water structures, such as overground and underground tanks, bridge abutments and flood defence walls.

I was given quite a few responsibilities during my internship, working on three separate projects throughout my time here. I was also given the opportunity to go on site with the Asset Management team, inspecting the condition of assets on multiple sewage treatment works locations. This lasted three weeks and was an excellent way of getting out of my comfort zone and exploring new areas of the business, as well as providing an opportunity to network with colleagues from other teams. Furthermore it was nice to be constantly busy for a few weeks, compared to the ebbs and flows of work that came through while I was in the office.

I had already completed a 12-month placement here at Arcadis last year, before joining back as a summer intern, therefore I feel this internship consisted on building upon and developing a lot of the existing skills I had learnt whilst on placement. An example of this is that I had just started using Robot Structural Analysis (a piece of engineering software) at the end of my placement, and this summer had to use it again for one of the main projects I worked on, pushing me to remember what I had already learnt and to build on this, allowing me to confidently say I have become much more proficient at using it!

Interning at a company where working from home is the norm can be quite intimidating at first, as there isn't always somebody sat next to you teaching you how to undertake certain tasks or there to answer any quick questions. However, you do adapt quickly to dropping people a Teams message or having catch-up calls with your colleagues, and so the support is still always there. There isn't as much guidance as I would have expected/ hoped and you are thrown in the deep end in terms of the projects you work on and what is expected of you, but the support is always very much present and everyone seems very understanding of nerves and/ or doubts and is always willing to help.

The general atmosphere is pleasant, I have never walked into the office or a meeting and been made to feel uncomfortable. Everyone has always been so nice, and even people I've never met have smiled in the office as you're walking past.

I enjoyed my summer internship with Arcadis, as it allowed me to grow as an engineer and also as an individual. I think most importantly it allowed me to meet such a wide range of people from all different business areas, creating an opportunity for future contacts when I may want to try something new. It's all good experience, and I would recommend it to anyone looking at gaining experience in the field!

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