The Student Room Group
Reply 1
Well it's up to you really. Some people go the 3 or 4 years without getting any work experience in their industry.

Some maintain a part-time job throughout, although not too easy to find in Engineering afaik.
Some take a year out.
Some get Summer internships.

Look around the engineering companies you'd be interested in working for and see what they offer. From what I can gather, they're mainly year placements, but you might find some who do internships :smile:
Reply 2
DarkWhite
Well it's up to you really. Some people go the 3 or 4 years without getting any work experience in their industry.

Some maintain a part-time job throughout, although not too easy to find in Engineering afaik.
Some take a year out.
Some get Summer internships.

Look around the engineering companies you'd be interested in working for and see what they offer. From what I can gather, they're mainly year placements, but you might find some who do internships :smile:

I have next to no idea which engineering companies would do internships/placements to be honest; I don't really know where to look.

What sort of work do people do in internships and longer placements?
Reply 3
+ polarity -
I have next to no idea which engineering companies would do internships/placements to be honest; I don't really know where to look.

What sort of work do people do in internships and longer placements?


Well, I can't suggest much, not knowing what area of engineering you're interested in. Working on a railway or management?

Find companies in that area, let's say Balfour Beatty, and Google them e.g. http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=balfour+beatty+placements

See what they offer and apply.

Does your university not run a careers fair or anything for things like this? I know Loughburgh for example have an engineering careers fair and they even do interviews for the jobs on university premises.

Typically, you will work on a project with other students which you might not get to finish whilst you're working for them, as other people will finish it when you leave, but it varies.
Reply 4
DarkWhite
Well, I can't suggest much, not knowing what area of engineering you're interested in. Working on a railway or management?

Typically, you will work on a project with other students which you might not get to finish whilst you're working for them, as other people will finish it when you leave, but it varies.

I'm not entirely sure myself :o:. I'm doing mechanical engineering, because it's pretty broad. I like robots though, so I could start with this.

Do people usually apply at this time of year? Is it easier if you have good first year results?
Reply 5
+ polarity -
My course doesn't have an inter-calated year for relevant work experience, so I was just wondering what people in this situation do.

Do you decide to take a year out, or try to find an internship for the summer holidays?

Thanks,
+ polarity -



hi,was in the same position a coupla years ago,gradcracker is pretty good

http://www.gradcracker.com/keyword-search.php?query=summer&submit=Go

i would apply to as many as you can as soon as possible,alot of the guys on my course left it till april/may/june and were too late

good luck
Reply 6
+ polarity -
I'm not entirely sure myself :o:. I'm doing mechanical engineering, because it's pretty broad. I like robots though, so I could start with this.

Do people usually apply at this time of year? Is it easier if you have good first year results?


It's up to you when you apply, but a lot of deadlines are in January 2010.

They may well ask for your transcripts to date with all your module marks, especially with rising competition and the economic state, but I can't speak for every company out there!

A quick Google search for 'mechanical engineering placements' brought up this: http://www.mbdacareers.co.uk/graduateProfile.jsp?g=7

But to be honest, www.milkround.com is your friend :wink:
Reply 7
DarkWhite
It's up to you when you apply, but a lot of deadlines are in January 2010.

They may well ask for your transcripts to date with all your module marks, especially with rising competition and the economic state, but I can't speak for every company out there!

A quick Google search for 'mechanical engineering placements' brought up this: http://www.mbdacareers.co.uk/graduateProfile.jsp?g=7

But to be honest, www.milkround.com is your friend :wink:

Thanks for those!

The engineering placements I've found on Milkround and Trovit (and MBDA) all seem to be for second-years. I'm a first-year, so any work I'd be doing would have to be quite simple :o:

I could try applying to the place I did my work experience at, but I don't think I could handle going there every day for 2/3 months. :nah:
Reply 8
DarkWhite
:wink:


mick8628
http://www.gradcracker.com/keyword-search.php?query=summer&submit=Go

i would apply to as many as you can as soon as possible,alot of the guys on my course left it till april/may/june and were too late


Hi again!

Last night I found out that OC Robotics (fortunately Bristol-based :wink:) offer summer (and longer) placements: http://www.ocrobotics.com/company/jobs/placements.htm

I'm not sure if these are available to first-years, and I'm not sure where I'd stay during the summer (I have to move out in June :erm:), but I'm considering applying.

Would it be worth e-mailing them to ask if first-years can apply?
Reply 9
Quickly, bear this in mind:

The closing date for applications is 30th November 2009.


But yes, definitely email and ask! Especially if you're wanting to apply next year or something. It would be better to email and ask than apply and come across as having not read something properly in the application pack :smile:

They also run a scheme for placements of 2 years (or 4 if you wish) in length: http://www.ocrobotics.com/company/jobs/gdp.htm, so ask about that if you-re interested - whether you can apply for it or if only applications to other schemes are considered for it etc.
DarkWhite
Quickly, bear this in mind:



But yes, definitely email and ask! Especially if you're wanting to apply next year or something. It would be better to email and ask than apply and come across as having not read something properly in the application pack :smile:

They also run a scheme for placements of 2 years (or 4 if you wish) in length: http://www.ocrobotics.com/company/jobs/gdp.htm, so ask about that if you-re interested - whether you can apply for it or if only applications to other schemes are considered for it etc.

:facepalm: Aw man, I always miss these details! I think I will send an email later this evening, despite having missed the application date. :shifty:

I think the GDP would be good for me after I graduate, provided I graduate :p:, but I don't know if it would replace a post-grad course at a university, or supplement it (I'll have to read about it later). I have a feeling it might.

Thanks again, DW!
+ polarity -
:facepalm: Aw man, I always miss these details! I think I will send an email later this evening, despite having missed the application date. :shifty:

I think the GDP would be good for me after I graduate, provided I graduate :p:, but I don't know if it would replace a post-grad course at a university, or supplement it (I'll have to read about it later). I have a feeling it might.

Thanks again, DW!


A lot of application deadlines are in January so as well as revising for any exams in January, I think this might be a top priority if it's something you really want! :smile:

November is an early deadline to be fair, and perhaps they should have modified their page to reflect the past deadline really, but be aware of it!

Hope you get it all sorted :biggrin:

And you're quite welcome.
Reply 12
Hey.
Don't mean to hijack your thread, but I'm also interested in having some sort of work experience, preferably in my field of engineering (aerospace). As a first-year student, there doesn't seem to be anything out there which is tailored for first-year engineering students. Nearly all the companies specify "penultimate year undergraduates" which is fairly annoying. Even Milkround etc haven't come up with any which don't specify "penultimate year undergraduates" or is an internship that lasts much longer than 8 weeks (as i can only do it during the summer). Any further help on this would be awesome!
TI-84
Hey.
Don't mean to hijack your thread, but I'm also interested in having some sort of work experience, preferably in my field of engineering (aerospace). As a first-year student, there doesn't seem to be anything out there which is tailored for first-year engineering students. Nearly all the companies specify "penultimate year undergraduates" which is fairly annoying. Even Milkround etc haven't come up with any which don't specify "penultimate year undergraduates" or is an internship that lasts much longer than 8 weeks (as i can only do it during the summer). Any further help on this would be awesome!


Hi! :smile:

I was going to say Bristol has good links to aerospace companies, then I noticed you're at MCR.
Reply 14
+ polarity -
Hi! :smile:

I was going to say Bristol has good links to aerospace companies, then I noticed you're at MCR. Have you looked around for suitable businesses?


You go to Uni of Bristol? Good uni that. Rejected me after an interview :o:
Well, there's a company in Manchester that'd be interesting - but I wont be living in Manchester over the summer :p: I'd be in London. You would think that it would be easier to find a place that would offer work experience in London, but that is true for all cases apart from engineering - which is dependent more on the industry etc etc which is more up north! I'm at quite a loss as what to do tbh, because come end of 2nd year there's hundreds of places I could apply but nowhere for now. I might just snoop around small airports or work with a mechanic or something, experience is experience i suppose :p:
TI-84
You go to Uni of Bristol? Good uni that. Rejected me after an interview :o:
Well, there's a company in Manchester that'd be interesting - but I wont be living in Manchester over the summer :p: I'd be in London. You would think that it would be easier to find a place that would offer work experience in London, but that is true for all cases apart from engineering - which is dependent more on the industry etc etc which is more up north! I'm at quite a loss as what to do tbh, because come end of 2nd year there's hundreds of places I could apply but nowhere for now. I might just snoop around small airports or work with a mechanic or something, experience is experience i suppose :p:

I have that problem. I found a great place in Bristol, but I won't have anywhere to stay this summer, so I doubt I'll apply this year :frown:

Have you considered anywhere just outside London? Or shadowing at an airport? (In the repair part)

Or would that be some kind of security risk? :erm:
Reply 16
+ polarity -
I have that problem. I found a great place in Bristol, but I won't have anywhere to stay this summer, so I doubt I'll apply this year :frown:

Have you considered anywhere just outside London? Or shadowing at an airport? (In the repair part)

Or would that be some kind of security risk? :erm:


Mate, have u checked out 'the year in industry'? As you know, they helped me find a 'real' engineering placement.
wizz_kid
Mate, have u checked out 'the year in industry'? As you know, they helped me find a 'real' engineering placement.

Yeah I considered it before I started uni', but I wanted to go straight into academia :teeth:

I don't know if the YINI is open to people who have already started a degree, and I don't think I'm prepared to take a whole year out. :erm:
ask the uni for work experience or ask your fav lecturer they may able to help!
whizz-kid
ask the uni for work experience or ask your fav lecturer they may able to help!

My personal tutor is :awesome:. I'll ask him next time I see him. :top:

P.S. wizz_kid... whizz-kid? :confused: