A Big Thank You to Emma & Dag- Our Summer Interns

The past summer months have been long, hot and punctuated by evenings out along the Thames. Our interns, Emma and Dag, joined us for six weeks amidst the heat waves, ice creams and flurry of exciting new projects. 

Here’s their feedback on what has been an impressionable time for them and us alike:

Metis: What did you expect your internship with us to be like?

Dag: Coming into the internship, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I certainly didn’t imagine I would be given so much responsibility!

Emma: I was hoping to get to know what it would be like to work in an Engineering Consultancy and I was particularly interested to learn about flood risk modelling. I also hoped to improve my time managing skills, networking skills and problem-solving skills. It has been great to learn about how to apply for (engineering) Charterships too!

Metis: What projects/tasks have you been involved in?

Dag: So far, I’ve worked with local authorities such as Lewisham, Croydon and Walsall, to bring their highway maintenance policies in line with the new Code of Practice which will come into effect in October. A large part of this work has involved using GIS (geographic information system) software to manage and analyze data.

Emma: I have been working on a road modelling, option appraisal and on a flood risk project for Kingston and Sutton.

Metis: Will you apply anything you have learnt from the internship when you are back at university?

Dag: (Using GIS) This was a tool I had no experience with prior to my internship but I have now become very skilled in– in fact, I look forward to applying this useful skill to projects in my final year.

Emma: Definitely. I am thinking about water resources and flood risk management related topics for my final year. I will also be adopting some of the time managing methods used by Metis to help me with my term schedule.

Metis: What have you most enjoyed about working at Metis?

Dag: One of the best things about the time I’ve spent at Metis is that I’ve been treated like a graduate employee.

I would say, however, that the most enjoyable aspect of my internship so far has been the weekly team meetings; these include a ten-minute presentation by a member of staff on a subject of their choosing. So far, we’ve had presentations on the Greek economic crisis, university projects and even a jiu-jitsu demonstration!

Emma: I have enjoyed learning to use the software (XP Storm and QGIS) and then being able to apply this to active projects. I have also liked doing research (including background reading on planning policies for planning apps) and, finally, it has been great working in such a lovely office with amazing people!

Metis: Thank you Dag and Emma for answering all our questions and we wish you all the best in your studies and your future careers!