JLR stands out by providing undergraduates and graduates, like myself, with many opportunities.
Charlotte – Product Engineering (Software) Undergraduate
Charlotte joined JLR as a Product Engineering undergraduate 5 months ago. She is also an integral part of the ECI (Early Careers Innovations) committee where she presents / organises many Early Careers events. Charlotte passionately talked about her life at JLR as an undergraduate, and she is looking forward to developing her career with JLR for many years to come.
What position did you start in and what is your position now? Please describe your current responsibilities.
I started as a software developer, mainly developing the front-end of the PIVI web apps. I spent 4 months in that role, and now I have just started the UX designer role, designing the JLR mobile app. As I am on an industrial placement, I have the opportunity to rotate around different positions in the business every few months, to get a taste for all the roles which I’m interested in trying.
Are you involved in any other projects / networks? If so, please describe what they are and what your contributions are.
I am a part of the ECI (Early Careers Innovations) committee, where I present and organise guest speakers to present to the Early Careers employees, about current innovations occurring across various departments.
What do you like about working here?
I like the opportunity I am given, as an undergraduate, to try out various departments which I am interested in, rather than just working in the same role for the whole placement. It allows me to try new things which I may have not considered before. I have been surprised at how much I enjoyed the roles which I didn’t initially sign up to.
What are your career aspirations? Do you feel that you get the necessary support from your management / department to help achieve your learning & development goal?
I aspire to progress in a technology-related role; I’m not entirely sure what job specifically yet, as I’m still trying out many roles in my placement. I am hoping to be offered a gradate job at the end of my industrial placement, and then be offered a permanent job with the company, post-grad.
Describe your team / department, and what makes it stand out from our competition?
JLR stands out by providing undergraduates/graduates, like myself, with many opportunities. They offer exciting business trips, where you can visit the different sites and explore your work in action in our vehicles. They also give you the opportunity to try out various roles in the company and allow you to find out which role you enjoy/suits you the best.
Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
- I really enjoy hiking in the UK’s national parks; I completed the DofE Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.
- Soon, I want to travel Europe and in particular explore Iceland and the Switzerland mountains.
- My favourite season of the year is summer and I’m not a fan of winter.
What hints and tips can you share with the potential candidates who are going through the application / interview process?
Find out a lot about the company and the current goals JLR is working towards. Not only will it give you better knowledge of the company which you are hoping to work for, it may also give you a better idea of what areas of the business you’re more interested in working in. For example, when I was applying to the company, I realised that I was very interested in PIVI. I mentioned that I was particularly interested in this in the interview, and to my surprise, I was offered a job as a software developer in the PIVI team.