Life at JLR blog
Convinced by his peers to do a placement year, Ahmed says it’s one of the best decisions he’s made.
Manufacturing undergrad Ahmed tells us about his time at JLR so far. Joining back in July he has already been given responsibilities he’d never imagined at this stage in his career.
Q: What programme are you on and what are you studying at University?
I am in the Industrial Operations Manufacturing Engineering Programme, and I study Aerospace Engineering at the University of Leicester. Doing an aerospace degree, I have always been fascinated by planes, so to be able to do a year in industry in an automotive industry is amazing as it would diversify my skillset in both industries, and I encourage anyone in a similar position to do so as well. I was never interested in doing a year in industry but my friends at university convinced me to and it has been one of the best decisions I have made as a person and engineer.
Q: How have you found your first few months with JLR?
The first few months at JLR have been nothing short but amazing. It started off slow as I was adjusting to my new team and getting to know everyone within it, however, after 2-3 weeks it felt like I had been there for years. The team were very welcoming and supportive and despite everyone being busy they took time to instruct me and teach me what I needed to know. I was placed in the Electric Drive Unit Assembly (EDU) team, in charge of designing the line that would manufacture the new EDUS for the upcoming JLR vehicles. 4 months in now and I have been given responsibilities I never imagined I would have at this stage of my life. I have been tasked with ensuring vital parts of our line are in place for when the line is 100% completed. This involves having to commute to different sites and liaising with different teams.
Q: Tell us about the Early Careers community.
I have nothing but positive stuff to say regarding the early career’s community. The events they organise for us allows us undergrads to network with each other and with other members in different areas of the business. There are many social events to attend which as well are fun and give us an opportunity to network outside of work. One of the highlights was being able to attend the networking and collaborative day at Ashorne hill. We were given a wide variety of tasks and put into teams with people we weren’t familiar with. This helped us all improve our skills in networking, a vital skill needed in any industry. I look forward to the upcoming events the early careers community have planned for us.
Q: What is something you want to achieve in your placement year?
Within this placement year, I aim to improve myself as an engineer. This involves developing my soft skills such as communication and teamwork but also my engineering skills. I aim to enhance my personal confidence, as I recognise this is an area where I currently have room for growth. Having the skills but not the confidence to do something in case I get it wrong is something a lot of people have and doing a placement year is the best chance to change that. Presenting and being able to talk confidently about what you are working on is an area I also aim to work on throughout this year.
Q: What is your top tip for people applying to an Undergraduate placement at JLR?
My top tip to anyone applying for an undergraduate placement at JLR would be to know the company to the best of your ability. There is nothing that JLR values more than its creators code: Customer Love; Unity; Integrity; Growth; Impact. Also come with an open mindset and show your passion for wanting to learn. JLR know that you are wanting experience so, show them that you have the willingness to learn. If you are looking to apply to JLR, start applying their creators code into your everyday life as they are not specific to just work but also what we do outside of work. As I said, there is nothing more JLR values than its creator’s code.