Definitely do a placement if you can! Even if you are in a department that you don't enjoy, you will still gain so much from it, and it will help you recognise what engineering you do and don't enjoy, which will help you choose elective modules later in university. It is also a fantastic opportunities to meet people and gain confidence and respect within the professional engineering field. Wherever you go, make sure you build your network and chat to everyone. I met a safety engineer on a course by coincidence and through that contact I gained a 3-month summer role in safety engineering that then allowed me to get my perfect graduate scheme in nuclear safety. The company you work for has invested time and money in you so want to retain you as an engineer when you graduate, don't be afraid to ask for what you want and push for it!
The application process
I found the placement role on the company website and submitted an application which involved a CV, cover letter and application questionnaire. I was then invited to an on-demand interview and isometric testing and then finally, an online interview with engineering and human resources staff which included a 10-minute presentation on previous engineering work I have completed.
To prepare for the interview process, I created and practiced the 10-minute presentation, ensuring I identified skills developed and challenges faced and not just the technical work I had completed. I also researched the company and its product, identified key skills they may ask about and situations I have proven that I have used then, and looked into the company's core values and identified how I align with them.
My placement and study
For my placement year, I worked as a structural engineer for Leonardo Helicopters UK. My placement consisted of structural engineering of the Proteus UAV for the Royal Navy, structural dynamic engineering on a SATCOM antenna on the AW101 Merlin helicopter, vibration and rap testing on a variety of international rotorcraft and primary safety assessment for the Royal Navy Wildcat Analogue Flight Control System.
The highlights of being on placement are having the opportunity to work on real engineering projects, such as Proteus, which was relevant and innovative and being able to work on platforms that were made on-site and conducting testing on them. For example, I was able to see the helicopters I was working on taking off from the airfield many times a day. I also saw new prototypes being tested and doing vibrations testing myself on innovations such as the FASGW weapon wing for the Royal Navy Wildcat.
I found the transition from study to work much easier than the transition back to university. I have good self-motivation, so I found working a 9 to 5 job refreshing and enjoyed the freedom of stress-free weekends and evenings.
When returning back to university after my placement, I found that I did gain much better time management skills and completed most of my university work in part C within office hours (although not so much in final year due to the workload!) Also, my placement year developed my understanding on what I was working towards during my degree and what part of the industry I wanted to work in.
My career
The summer after my placement, I returned to Leonardo Helicopters UK as a sub-contractor safety engineer. This helped me get into the Sellafield Ltd Safety Case Graduate scheme as it meant I had already completed much of the required work, just on a different platform. This gave me a unique perspective compared to others applying for the role.
I learnt a lot about communicating with engineers on placement and many of the soft skills I use on a daily basis at work I learnt from previous roles as a kayaking coach and instructor and through leadership positions within the Royal Navy Reserves which I will be able to transfer to my graduate role.
I am excited to regain the work-life balance and move to somewhere new and meet lots of new people and work in a sector of engineering that I love.