Every summer at Labman, we welcome a large number of interns into our HQ to lend a hand on projects, and to give them all a flavour of what it’s like to work at Labman. These interns come from near and far, and from different stages in their education or career, and it’s always great fun getting to know every one. We asked each of our interns to tell us about their time at Labman - first up this week, a veteran Labman intern, Joe Gubbins.
Over the 3 summers I have worked at Labman I’ve experienced both small and large projects, including a spell as a project leader involved in the proof of concept, design, build and testing phases of making custom robots. It’s pretty cool doing things that it’s very likely no-one has ever done before. Another thing that I have found really rewarding is the opportunity to get involved with different areas of engineering; as well as mechanical (which is what my degree is in) I’ve been put to work in the machine shop manufacturing components, doing electrical work, dabbling with a bit of software and even modelling in the publicity video for a new product. This variation in the nature of work keeps you on your toes and makes sure that you are always learning and becoming a more rounded (and therefore more useful) engineer. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that you can easily learn more in 3 hours at Labman than 3 years at uni!
The staff culture is another thing that stands out at Labman. For a company with over 100 employees there is a real sense of team spirit and genuine friendship between the staff members, and it’s very easy to quickly feel a part of the ever-expanding team. This is no doubt furthered through all the extra-curricular activities that Labman actively promotes; from lunchtime yoga or squash, to post-work 5-a-side and climbing, to scrapheap challenges at the famous Labfest summer party. I feel this culture aids in developing strong confidence and communication which helps make Labman a fantastic place to work. The lunchtime activities give you a chance to give your mind a rest, so you’re fresh and raring to go by the time work starts again after lunch.
Labman is a unique place to work and I would highly recommend a placement there to any student looking to get a real experience of working. It’s a fully immersive experience into the world of work, with lots of responsibility and a varied range of tasks - about as far from filing and making cups of tea as you can get.