Students at the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering are encouraged to take internships. Especially when related to the student’s field of study, the internships help to develop student skills, support academic studies, and provide new opportunities for students.
Professor Roberts talks with Adam Brotzman
Professor Jonathan C. Roberts (Director of Impact and Engagement for the school) talked with Adam Brotzman. Adam is a student on the MEng Electronic Engineering programme had completed a summer internship programme with an electronics design consultancy called Partner Electronics.
Over the summer of 2022, I obtained a place on a 10-week internship with an electronics design consultancy called Partner Electronics. Whilst not part of the course - I am on (MEng Electronic Engineering) - this placement complemented my studies well, allowing me to apply my theoretical knowledge across a wide range of practical tasks, some of which were related to ongoing client work.
The most beneficial part of an internship for me was getting an insight into the mindset of industry professionals: their approach to tackling real-world problems and finding solutions.
Jonathan asks Adam: "tell us more about your experience"
Jonathan Roberts asks "I am always excited to hear about internships, and especially hear about the process of getting one, could you tell us some more about your experiences."
“I chose this company, as it offered a lot of opportunities to partake in practical work – something which I find fun and gives me great satisfaction when a project gets completed."
I found the company and placement on Gradcracker.com, and subsequently emailed them my CV, and a covering letter. A short while later, I was contacted by phone, where a more in-depth explanation of the placement was given, and some technical questions sent over – some short programming tasks, and some circuit design tasks. These were then discussed during the online interview, along with the typical generic interview questions.
Jonathan asks about Adam's practical experience.
It is great to hear that you had a practical experience. It is always great to have experiences that you can reflect on, at a later stage. What type of work did you do in the internship?
During the internship, I worked on several tasks, including fault finding and calibration of client equipment, circuit prototyping, embedded firmware design, even some GUI (Graphical User Interface) design in C#. In doing this, my skill set was significantly diversified; personally, I find it difficult to pick up new skills unless there is an external goal to achieve. As a result, a lot of the stuff I learnt was practical: usage of IDEs (Integrated Development Environments), and how to properly apply crimp terminals to wires stick out as two immediate, albeit quite different, examples.
I also gained a good sense of the work environment there. I was quickly integrated into part of the team there. I was also asked to stay connected as they would “like to work with [me] again” – interpret this how you will.
Jonathan asks "what now"?
That sounds brilliant. It is excellent to hear that you were accepted as part of their team. What are you doing now, and what are your next steps?
I am back at university to complete my final year of studies. After the internship, I have a much better grasp on how to tackle tasks, particularly with regards to taking a step back and planning, rather than just diving straight in with no clear roadmap of what I am going to do.
I have also had, and accepted, offers from the university for another internship. This time with Dr Cristiano Palego, studying energy harvesting. I have also accepted a part-time research placement in conjunction with the laser department looking at laser treatment of diverse types of seeds – both of which are paid positions.