How did I feel reporting 165km Away From Earth
From the mars yard to my room: what I learnt from my out of this world placement at Airbus Defence and Space during the coronavirus pandemic
If you had asked me a year ago today to write an article about the Solar Orbiter IOC (In Orbit Commissioning) I probably would have had no idea what you were talking about!
At 165 million km away from Earth, Solar Orbiter is definitely keeping its social distance, but it’s commissioning presented a challenge to the teams who would normally work together in the office to complete the IOC process. Instead, under the leadership of Airbus project Manager Ian Walters, the team met online at least once a day to make sure the process was tackled quickly and efficiently. And I was given the task to write about it….
New gathering can be hard, and even harder in a pandemic, but after interviews, readings and research it all came together and my work was featured in Intelligence AeroSpace, Space Watch Global and The Edition just to name a few.
But what was it really like working for one of the biggest companies in Europe during a pandemic? And what would my advice be for other students?
In February I was up at 3am celebrating the once in a lifetime Solar Orbiter launch, planning the annual IET dinner at the Grosvenor in London and preparing for the summer launch of the Mars Rover. By March I was running 5k’s round the garden, baking banana bread and whipping coffee.
My journey as the Airbus Defence and Space Communications and Events intern for the UK started in July 2019 and little did I know that by March 2020 I’d be back in my bedroom working on projects and events that were defining the complex needs of Airbus’ customers, all throughout a pandemic. I thought three weeks working from home would be refreshing; I could value my time more, see my parents and most importantly my dogs. Little did I know I’d never see the Mars Yard or some of the people that taught me so much, again.
QUOTE TO ALWAYS REMEMBER: “This is not the destination, but a steppingstone towards your goals.”
Over my four months working from home it got hard at times to stay motivated, stay productive and stay inspired but one of the main things I learnt throughout my internship is that your placement year/semester/month/week is what YOU make it. If I had just completed the bare minimum level of work, never reached out to employees outside of my team or even engaged with the interns across my cohort, my experience within Airbus Defence and Space would have been completely different. From March to July did I not only go about my day to day responsibilities but was also given the responsibility to; co-create our ‘Working the Lockdown’ newsletter, that went out to the 10,000 DS employees weekly, compose press releases that reached local and national media platforms as well as spearheaded online social events for the intern cohort.
This was all down to the fact that in the beginning of my placement I seized every opportunity with both hands. From being a STEM ambassador, even though I had not been studying a STEM project, to nominating myself for the 19/20 Intern Rep, although I had personally never met half of the interns. This gave me not only a wide range of opportunities to continue with over lockdown; but a wide range of contacts to stay in touch with after I left. Even if you are starting a new experience online and working from home, reaching out to new people and attending ‘extracurricular’ events can not only make a brilliant first impression but help you create a rewarding and positive learning experience.
One of the main things that drastically changed over lockdown was my communication with the people who I was closest to within the company. You don’t realise how that small morning hello, coffee breaks and 1–1 meetings are vital within a working environment. If you are starting at a company with other young interns or graduates, setting up a social zoom call over lunch or in the evenings can be a great way to build relationships when returning to the office.
TOP TIP : Set yourself personal yearly and monthly goals.
When it comes to digital communication, one thing I would always remember is an email or message can sound very different in comparison to face to face conversation. If your manager is telling you to improve something over a messenger platform rather than a 1–1 meeting, don’t take any comments the wrong way or to heart; you are here to learn! Always listen and absorb, the people who are giving you this constructive criticism want to help you. I believe it is important to remind yourself that the team wants you there. You have gone through a range of application processes and you have been chosen to be there probably from 100’s of other students because your team believes you have the skills and potential to succeed in your role. As strange as it sounds you are there to make mistakes because every mistake is ripe with a learning opportunity.
The whole experience has allowed me to professionally develop across an array of situations from simply the way I present myself in presentations and meetings as well as enhancing my planning and implementing skills, so I am more thorough in every task I am presented with. Not only this but I have also developed new and improved personal attributes such as independence and adaptability all while living up to the company’s official motto “We Make It Fly”.
Overall, this experience has gone hand in hand with my Communications and Media Degree at Bournemouth University and has been the driving factor behind my motivations to achieve a high grade in final year. It has also inspired me to take on a graduate role with a company that has a mission to make a difference in the world…
Thanks for reading. My next blogs will be focusing on the Vegan world within journalism. To keep up to date give my Twitter and Facebook a follow.
WEEK 2 : TEDxTalk of the week
If you’ve made it this far welcome to this weeks ‘TEDxTalk of the week’. If you would like to explore making the most out of your work and have a little laugh keep watching:
