What are your main responsibilities in your placement role?
Helping out on any project work that comes up and trying to get a wide range of experiences. This includes writing reports, helping manage spending on projects, producing drawings with CAD software and going to site when needed or when possible.
How did you find out about this placement opportunity?
I found this placement on Gradcracker.
Can you tell us about any help you received from Academic Tutors or the Careers Service while you were applying for placement opportunities?
The Careers Service helped me vastly improve my CV by adding more experiences and skills developed. When I secured an interview for my placement, the Careers Service gave me a practice interview, which was very helpful before my first proper job interview!
Are you enjoying your placement? Can you tell us a bit about some of your highlights to date?
Yes. The highlight so far was probably going on site to do an inspection of a rooftop - it was a great feeling to get out of the office and inspect an area where construction would be taking place in the future. I've also enjoyed using structural analysis and CAD software - I haven't gotten the chance to use them on my course, and it felt very rewarding to visualise and analyse real projects.
What is the most exciting thing you've done on placement so far?
Going on site. A senior engineer from my team and myself were assigned to help a team from our company's office in Dubai with a plan for a green rooftop in Bristol city centre. It was exciting to work internationally and get briefed on the project by a team from another continent. We ended up going to site and inspecting the rooftop as well as the level below it. This was my first time on site and firs time doing work outside of the office, which was a welcome change of pace. It was interesting to go through the procedures to visit sites, and I hope to do so again in the future.
Please can you give us an overview of what a typical day on placement has been like for you?
Coming to the office, discussing my current project with my line manager and working out where and how I can chip in with help. I've spent most mornings doing project management and analysing our spend. Day-to-day activities have varied a lot but have usually been looking at reports, completing spreadsheets or occasionally using CAD software to produce drawings.
How has your degree helped you to be successful on placement?
My degree has helped to give me the building blocks beneath the skills I use on placement. Completing group projects at university has vastly improved my teamworking and communication skills, two attributes that I need daily on placement. Leading my project team last year has given me an appreciation of how projects are managed professionally.
Do you think this placement year will benefit your studies when you return next year?
Absolutely. It's been really eye-opening to see how engineering projects are delivered in the real world. Experiencing the professional environment first-hand and asking questions to my colleagues about their experiences has helped my organisational skills which will be vital in the next two years. Getting experience with different BIM software has been very useful, and watching real projects get delivered has been eye-opening.
Going on placement and working full time has given me an appreciation for how easy it is to meet people my age at university, particularly people involved in different fields of study. I think that when I come back for my final two years, I will make greater use of the opportunity to meet people and make friends at university.
Do you feel that your placement with also equip you for life after University?
Definitely. It's been really useful to experience a professional setting and see how my future career would look. It's helped me think about the decision about making civil engineering my future career and to get a glimpse of how my life could be in the immediate future after university.
What advice would you give to students thinking about doing a placement year?
Do it. The experience is really useful for job prospects, but it's also really helpful on a personal level to discover what you want in your future career before you finish university - that puts you in an advantageous position with more time on your side. It puts your course into perspective, shows you what you're working towards, and you can often do things you won't have even thought about on your course, vastly expanding your skillset.
