Scholar Profile – Ben

Why did you choose Viper Innovations?

I found out about the UKESF Scholarship Scheme through an email sent out by my university placement team. After looking through the placements offered, and researching the sponsoring companies, Viper stood out to me through their interesting products and services, and as they described themselves as a smaller company, which I hoped would give me a more involved experience across many aspects of work and engineering. After applying, I was given an interview where we not only discussed my eligibility for the placement, but also what role would be best for me in the business, and how Viper could support me as a developing engineer.

What was the first week of your placement like?

This was the first time I was working in an office environment, so I wasn’t sure what to expect during my first week. On the first day, I met my line manager and was introduced to my team, which consisted of five other engineers at the time. The rest of the day consisted of setting up my laptop, and reviewing and signing company policies. During the following days, I went through Viper’s induction system, which consisted of meetings with all the heads of departments. This gave me an accelerated insight into Viper’s products, operations, people, and culture. I was also given as much time as I needed to familiarise myself with the software and procedures used within my role.

After the first month of your placement, what had you experienced?

After my first month, I had become more familiar with the tools used within my team, and I had begun working on several tasks. I started to get the hang of things, and feel like I could make a meaningful contribution to the current project. Joining mid-way through a project is not something I had experienced before at university, as most projects at university are seen through from conception to completion within a few weeks. Also, working within a large codebase, and adapting the conventions and processes of my team gave me valuable experience in Embedded Software engineering. Outside of work I was able to join my colleagues for an evening meal, and had attended an office get-together.

By the end of your placement, what were the key things you learned?

During my time at Viper, I had assisted in testing and embedded development of a new Viper product, independently designing and implementing a new firmware for R&D usage, and contributed to the integration of several cable monitoring technologies into a unified embedded system. I primarily worked alongside the Embedded Software and Research & Development teams. I developed several technical skills such as C / C++ / Python programming, performing cable / line measurements, and working with communications protocols such as UART, SPI, and modbus. Additionally, I feel I developed across several professional aspects, including working with experienced engineers across several disciplines, managing my time across several projects, and forming documentation tailored to the appropriate audience.

What advice would you give to future UKESF Scholars joining Viper Innovations?

Understand that this placement is not just for you to work for Viper, but also for Viper to help you develop as an engineer. Take the opportunities you are given to develop your skills both through training and working on different projects. Also make sure to get involved where you can both in and out of work, whether it be a CSR event, or just lunch with your colleagues.

What are your interests outside of work?

Outside of work I enjoy running, hiking, and sim racing. I also enjoy working on personal coding projects.