Frequently asked questions - placements

Our summer and industrial placement opportunities open for applications from mid-October and will be advertised on our early careers website. You can join our Talent Community  to receive emails with tips and advice and to be notified when applications re-open.

At present, if you have a qualifying student visa, you can apply to our summer or Industrial placement roles provided you have working rights attached to it, there are no conditions attached to the visa restricting your undertaking the role on offer, and the visa will remain valid for the duration of the placement. For more detailed information please refer to our International Students page.

Our entry requirements vary by role so please check the job description before applying. If you feel you don’t meet any of these minimum requirements then we do offer a range of direct hire opportunities, which you can find on our job search page.

We only accept one application from each candidate per recruitment campaign, however, you’ll have the option to select multiple business areas and locations depending on the opportunities available. Please make sure you read the job descriptions attached to each role, so you ensure you’ve selected the right role for you.

Our placements are a great way to get a taste of what it’s like to work with us and are designed to support and complement your degree studies. Whether you’re spending several weeks with us over the summer or 12 months on an industrial placement, you’ll gain invaluable experience in the working world, equipping you with knowledge and understanding of the industry that couldn’t otherwise be obtained through academic studies alone. Upon completion of a successful placement, you could potentially be fast-tracked onto our Graduate Development Programme! Exceptional candidates may also be offered financial support when returning to university.

Our paid placement opportunities are designed for students from all degree years (except the final year of study generally) and include:

Summer placements - lasting at least 8 weeks and are completed during your longest academic break from university. They usually run from June through to August.

Industrial placements – often built into and count towards a degree course. They usually commence at the beginning of the academic year (September/October) and they typically last 12 months.

The exact dates for both types of placements are finalised at the offer stage.

The structure of your placement will depend on which team you join. However, we can guarantee that you’ll be learning about the exciting world of engineering through challenging tasks and responsibilities which help contribute towards our company vision and goals and prepare you for your future graduate career. Read about the experiences of some of our placement students.

Our placements are full-time paid work posts, designed to support and complement the academic learning of undergrad and post-grad students who are studying a relevant degree. Whether it’s spending several weeks with us over the summer or 12 months on an industrial placement, you’ll gain invaluable experience in the working world, equipping you with knowledge and understanding of the industry that couldn’t otherwise be obtained through academic studies alone. Plus, it’s a great way to get a taste of what it’s like to work with us.

Our top performing placement students have the opportunity to be fast-tracked onto our Graduate Development Programme upon completion of a successful placement! This means that you could bypass the graduate recruitment process and secure your permanent graduate role as you enter your final year of university so you can focus on your studies.

You can find full details of our application process on our ‘How To Apply’ page.

Our closing dates may vary by role, so please read the job description for details. However, we may close earlier than the specified date based on the volume of applications we receive, so we recommend you submit your application as soon as possible to ensure that you don’t miss out on your preferred role.

We don’t accept or need CVs or cover letters for our Early Careers roles. We capture all the details we need to assess your application on our online application, which is designed to identify your potential, rather than looking back at past experience.

Please contact [email protected] with a brief description of the issue and a screen shot if possible. We’ll be in touch as soon as we can to support you through the next steps. We recommend that you save your application as you work on it and you’ll have the chance to edit it before you submit.

We’re delighted to hear you’ve taken the first step on your journey with us and made your application. You’ll see live updates on your application by logging into your candidate area. You’ll also receive email updates, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Our immersive assessment takes a ‘day in the life’ approach, blending different tasks to give you a feel for what it might be like to work for us. It’s designed to make the process smooth and engaging while helping you understand the kind of work and environment you could be part of.

To complete the assessment, you'll need:

• a device with a camera to record your responses. You can use a computer, phone or tablet. If you don’t have access to these devices please consider using facilities at your local library, school or university.
• good internet connection and minimal distractions 

The assessment is split into two parts:

Part One: You’ll complete situational judgement, numerical, and verbal reasoning questions. It’s untimed and typically takes around 30 minutes. You’ll only have one chance to complete it, so make sure you’re in a quiet space and follow the guidance provided.

Review Stage: After Part One, your responses will be reviewed against the criteria for the role you’ve applied for. If you meet the requirements, you may be invited to Part Two.

Part Two: You’ll answer two short video questions designed to further assess your fit. If you’re shortlisted, you’ll be invited to a final video interview with the business.

You’ll have a chance to practice before recording your video responses, and the assessment is not timed - so you can work through it at your own pace.

Interviews for our year in industry roles usually take place between November and April. However, we recommend that you complete your application as soon as possible as some roles are very popular.

Our summer students no longer need to do an interview. We'll take your application and online immersive assessment and consider you for the role you've applied for. If shortlisted, you’ll have a call with the business to find out about the team, what you could be doing on a placement with us and meet some of the team you could be working with, so you can be confident that you’ve made the right choice.

If you’re no longer able to attend, please contact us at [email protected] or contact your recruiter directly to let us know. It may be possible to reschedule but we’re unable to guarantee this due to high volumes and the number of people involved in the process.

We’ll let you know when you can expect to hear from us at the end of your interview. The exact timeframes may vary depending on the role you’re being considered for, but we’ll contact you by phone or email with an update, so please make sure your contact details are up to date in your application.

We acknowledge the advancement of generative AI and the opportunities it brings to our daily lives and you can use these tools, should you wish to, to prepare for your interview. However these tools must not be used during the assessment and interview process, as we want to hear your authentic ideas which are more valuable to us than perfectly crafted responses. Instead rely on your own knowledge, experiences and thoughts when responding to questions. Integrity is one of our core values and we ask you to demonstrate your integrity during the process.

As a placement student you’ll be aligned to a specific office, but you may be required to have a flexible and agile approach to working from other offices, client sites or from home depending on the projects you are working on.

You can expect to spend a minimum of three days a week in the office or on client site (project dependent). Being together in person helps us build stronger relationships, collaborate more effectively, and accelerate your learning and development.

Our placement salaries are between £24,570 and £28,808 per annum (pro rata for summer placements) depending on role and location. As a Real Living Wage Employer, we are committed to offering the Real Living Wage to our placement students. This is in recognition of the value placement students bring to our business, ensuring that whatever route you take to start or develop your career, you can expect a fair salary, with a clear and open pathway to progress.

Yes, we’re proud to be a Disability Confident accredited employer, and we can provide reasonable adjustments to enable you to demonstrate your full potential throughout our recruitment process. Please let us know as soon as possible about any adjustments you may require so that we can put them in place at the right time. Please contact us on [email protected] to discuss this in confidence. Learn more about AtkinsRéalis as a disability confident employer.

We know it can be difficult sometimes to talk about personal things but we’re here to support you during the recruitment process. Please let us know as soon as possible if you require any adjustments or changes to the interview process so we can put them in place at the right time. Contact us at [email protected].  Learn more about AtkinsRéalis as a disability confident employer.

We want you to perform your best at all stages of our recruitment process and can make adjustments to support this. Examples of adjustments we have made in the past include, but are not limited to, providing assistive technology; extra time; changing the format of an assessment; scheduling an interview at a specific time; and ensuring there is access. For further information and to discuss how we can support you, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about AtkinsRéalis as a disability confident employer.

If you have a specific question related to disability, please contact [email protected]. All conversations are confidential.