Name of Student: Binbin Chen
Job Title: Graduate Laboratory Engineering Professional
Company Name: University of Exeter
Description of Organisation:
The University of Exeter is a public research university located in Exeter, Devon, South West England. It is one of the top 150 universities in the world and ranked among the top 15 universities in the United Kingdom. The university offers exciting courses in beautiful and historic surroundings. It is a member of the UK’s prestigious Russell Group of leading research universities.
What was your biggest achievement on your internship?
I designed and assembled a safety guard for a load tester in civil lab from scratch. I utilised the SolidWorks skills I learned from the University for this project. I managed to liaise with the client to acquire user requirements and to iterate my design, which improved my communication skills. I managed to repurpose the materials in the stock to save money. Also, I could use the mill machine to manufacture customised parts for my design.
Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?
My original design for the safety guard cost £870, which was too expensive. After discussion with my supervisor, I managed to change my design by repurposing the material in the stock to save the cost by £400. Also, I was able to manufacture parts to solve the unstable problem for my safety guard.
What were your reasons for undertaking this internship?
- To gain experience and knowledge within a specific occupation or field.
- To build new connections.
- To improve my job prospects by expanding my CV and what I can draw upon in interviews.
- To earn money.
- To start my career after graduating.
As a result of my internship…
- I have improved my communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
- My job prospects have improved by expanding my CV and what I can draw upon. in interviews
- I have developed specific skills that could help me in the future.
- My overall confidence has increased.
During the internship…
- I received learning and development opportunities which could be helpful for my career (e.g., online courses, research development or mentoring).
- I received regular feedback from my manager/supervisor.
- I received regular feedback from my manager/supervisor.
- Overall, this internship has been a positive experience.