My name is Chloe, and I’m in my fourth and final year of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering BEng at Queen Mary.
Before starting my industrial placement, I didn’t have everything figured out – and I don’t think I was supposed to. Like many engineering students, I spent my early years at university exploring different opportunities alongside my degree: workshops, insight days, short programmes, and extracurricular projects. Each experience helped me learn a little more about what engineering looked like beyond lectures, and slowly built my confidence to apply for a year-long placement.
I spent my placement year working as a Hardware Engineering Intern at Leonardo UK, within the electronics division. From the start, the transition from university labs to a real defence engineering environment felt daunting. I was suddenly working on live projects, within multidisciplinary teams, where decisions had real consequences. However, that challenge quickly became the most valuable part of the experience.
Throughout the year, I contributed to several research and development projects involving mixed-signal hardware, system integration, testing, and formal documentation – all within NDA-protected environments. My work ranged from schematic design and simulations to hands-on lab testing, debugging, and producing technical reports. Over time, I moved from needing close guidance to taking ownership of tasks and contributing confidently to design discussions and reviews.
One of the most impactful aspects of the placement was learning how engineering works at a systems level. Beyond individual circuits or components, I gained exposure to how requirements, risks, timelines, and stakeholders all interact. On one project, I was allocated responsibility for planning and delivering a cross-functional technical demonstration, coordinating logistics, technical setup, and communication across teams. This experience taught me that leadership doesn’t require a formal title – it comes from being reliable, communicating clearly, and stepping up when things don’t go exactly to plan.
The placement also challenged me personally. Midway through the year, I received constructive feedback on my communication and time management. Rather than seeing this as a setback, I treated it as an opportunity to reflect and improve. By the end of the placement, I had developed greater consistency in how I organised my work, communicated with stakeholders, and handled pressure – and I was trusted to represent my team in senior-level reviews and demonstrations.
One of the more surreal moments of my placement was briefly meeting the Prime Minister during a site visit focused on early-career engineering – a reminder of how unexpected opportunities can emerge when you say yes to challenges.
Returning to final year, I feel far more confident and focused. The placement clarified my interest in hardware engineering, systems integration, and leadership roles, and has shaped how I now approach academic work and future opportunities. Since returning to university, I’ve felt more confident pursuing competitive industry experiences, including being selected for a high-performance engineering mentorship programme.
For students considering a placement year, my advice would be to take opportunities as they come, even if you feel underprepared. You don’t need a perfect plan at the start – growth comes from showing up, learning through experience, and being open to feedback.