Exploring new technologies
I had an amazingly varied experience during my placement year. My job was to explore new technologies that potentially may offer step changes in the performance of household products.
I had to understand the strengths and weaknesses of existing technologies in this area, identify potential new technologies, evaluate them and report my findings.
Over the course of the year I was involved in a range of tasks: Computer Aided Design (CAD), test rig design and manufacture, MatLab programming, experimental testing and results analysis. I also got involved in giving presentations, writing reports and contacting external suppliers.
What I enjoyed most about my placement was the responsibility and freedom given to me. My colleagues treated me as an equal member of the team and took my work seriously.
Experience in industry
I would definitely recommend doing a placement year. It gives you a foot in the door to get a graduate role and helps your job application stand out from the crowd. The skills you gain are different to those learnt at university and you get to experience your chosen industry before graduating.
I really enjoyed my placement. I have decided I would like to work within research-engineering and have accepted a graduate role with Dyson.