Daunting but Exciting!
Unsurprisingly moving to Birmingham for the internship was a little daunting. Packing up life at home was relatively straight forward, and despite catching covid a week before departure, this was the easy part. The next few weeks were intense. Turns out travelling alone to a new country is a lot and can really take it out of you. Luckily, I had a week to enjoy myself before starting the internship and used this time to explore London then Birmingham. I also had some friends living in the UK who gave me the run down on what to expect, what I needed to organise and apply for on arrival and answered all of my questions. Their support was a huge help and provided a soft metaphorical landing, making my first few weeks in the UK that much easier. The biggest challenge initially was finding permanent accommodation in Birmingham. While searching for a place I was quickly made aware that the rental market here was extremely competitive and had been for years. While the search took several stressful weeks, I was able to find a nice place just before Christmas. With accommodation sorted I was able to relax, start to properly settle in, and really begin to enjoy the internship and living in Birmingham.
Starting the internship, like moving to Birmingham, was also daunting. This was compounded initially by everything else that was going on outside of the internship. Luckily, the people I work with, the other interns, the people in my team and department, and the people in the plant in general, are all great. They have all been extremely welcoming, helpful, and supportive as well as being friendly and fun to work with. The onboarding process took several weeks, but thanks to those involved and the time of year (Christmas) it was a lot less overwhelming than expected. During this time, I was also able to start working on projects as part of the Innovation and Digitalisation (I&D) team. One thing I have noticed so far is that people aren’t always aware of what an Industrial Designer does, but they recognise the term Designer. As such I have been asked to do all sorts of design work, which I have found enjoyable and I’m quickly becoming a jack of all design trades.
My previous internship with the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy in 2020 has been helpful in preparing me for the BMW internship. Firstly, the main software program we learnt while interning at the Academy I now use heavily in the I&D team. This means I was able to start contributing almost immediately to projects and quickly become a productive member of the team. The Academy has also helped me to become comfortable and confident learning new programs and skills as needed, which has proven to be beneficial when working in the agile I&D team.
The work during the internship has been refreshingly varied. One project involves extensive modelling, editing, and animating of 3D CAD models. Other projects have involved graphic design work, including logo and icon design, and the creation of presentation materials. Many of the projects have also provided opportunities to make use of different methods of design thinking including research, ideation, and user testing. Some of the projects involve the use of innovative technology, such as the Spot robot from Boston Dynamics. The I&D team took delivery of Spot earlier this year and the team is now working to develop and implement potential use cases within the plant. There have also been several opportunities to present the work I’ve been involved in to my BMW colleagues, from other interns to the plant director. I have also been able to network with current and potential partners outside of BMW such as universities and industry bodies. The projects and opportunities provided so far have provided a wide range of opportunities to use and improve both my technical and soft skills.
The internship has also offered the opportunity to be fully immersed in British culture, from ancient castles to the omnipresent Premier League. Birmingham, or Brum as the locals refer to it, is the second biggest city in the UK. This means there are plenty of things to see and do here, with plenty of restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and other attractions. Brum is also extremely well positioned for travel around the United Kingdom, with great rail and bus connections. So far I have visited London, Oxford, Cambridge, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Coventry, Milton Keynes, and Worcester (the home of Worcestershire sauce!). I have also met many great people, including lovely Brummies, friends from back home, some of my English relatives, and other Aussies and expats living in Brum.
Apart from the commute to and from the plant, which can be a pain at times, and the less than stellar English weather, my experience for the first five months has been great. With summer on the way, projects gearing up at work, and plans to travel to Europe to visit old friends and the other QUT interns, I’m excited for the next eight months.
David Quick
BMW Group Intern (Plant Hams Hall) 2023
