A Year in the Life of an Airbus Intern

A placement year is a great way to gain real-world experience, build confidence, and discover whether a career is right for you. It gives you the chance to put your studies into practice, develop key skills, and learn more about yourself in a professional setting.

In this blog, Tilly shares her experience as a Business Operations Intern at Airbus, talking about what her role involves, what she has learned, and what life on placement is really like.

My Placement Experience

I am a Business Management student at Newcastle University, spending my year in industry as a Business Operations Intern at Airbus Defence & Space. I started in July 2025 and will be finishing July/August 2026, so I am half-way through! In this blog, I will speak about what I get up to, what I’ve learnt and enjoyed so far, and some relatable struggles!

What do I get up to?

• Resource management – managing the workload of employees to ensure there is no risk to the welfare of employees and projects
• Performance management – collecting KPIs and communicating with seniors to align with organisational objectives, and enable continuous improvement
• Improvement management – making business improvements, such as reducing costs, integrating new technology and processes
• Data analysis – gathering data to identify both challenges and strengths of the business, enabling employees to address issues, enhancing performance
• Communications coordination – developing and implementing a communications plan within the team to improve information flow and collaboration across all sites within our business unit
• CUSP projects – (Community for Space Prosperity) working with other young professionals to communicate with universities, schools etc. Involves career fairs and presentations etc
• STEM and Sustainability ambassador – additional volunteering for the company to promote awareness, education, and engagement around STEM and sustainability initiatives
• Other departments – spending time in other teams to gain beneficial skills for both myself and my team, as well as organising for others to experience life in our department

What am I learning?

• Professionalism – how to professionally approach people, situations and word pro emails
• Communication – constant communication within tasks and keeping everyone in the loop becomes essential in working as a team
• Confidence – picking up the phone and calling someone with confidence can give better, speedier responses, as opposed to hiding behind an email. This also helps me get my name out there and with a good impression
• Excel – this is something I never thought I’d be able to pick up but I have been able to create myself an excel guide for all the cool new skills I have learnt
• Building relationships – understanding each other’s work styles makes collaboration smoother and more enjoyable
• Expectation management – understanding that business processes take time, you may not be able to get quick responses. Patience is key

The ‘working world’ isn’t as daunting as it seems. It is a jump from university, but you are working full-time so it doesn’t take long to settle in and find a routine. All other employees have been in the same boat as you at some point, maybe multiple times, so they will understand.

Perks of the Job

Internships can offer way more than skills and experience. My team made me feel welcome straight away, allowing me to settle in quickly, building strong relationships. I have also made connections outside of the team, including with other early careers professionals - we have shared experiences to bond over! The social aspect of work makes coming into the office very enjoyable.

This internship also helps me prep for my final year and future jobs. Networking, especially with grads, is super inspiring and useful. They give great advice on balancing studies and finding future job opportunities, making the big leap from Uni life to 9-5, (and vice versa after an internship). I am lucky to work at a big company with plenty job opportunities to explore, plus people who are keen to share their knowledge.

One great perk is flex-time, which may be possible at other companies too. I can bank overtime hours to take time off with later, without using any holiday. This eases the (what may seem) daunting jump to working full time and maintaining a work-life balance.

Another benefit is no extra Airbus work outside of hours, so I can fully enjoy time off. I have enjoyed having a consistent weekly routine, unlike university where your Tuesday could look the same as your Saturday – with revision or part time work etc.

I have also benefitted from experiencing work trips, which have allowed me to network with colleagues and broaden my understanding of the industry. Site tours allow me to see first-hand the work that is produced at each site, including a tour of the Mars Yard in Stevenage.

Gaining real life experience, as opposed to solely learning the theory, is amazing for building your skillset and applying knowledge to future studies. When it comes to applying to jobs, your CV stands out over the people who do not have this experience.

Any Challenges?

• Vulnerability – not knowing much at first can make it tough to contribute. I have been told that this comes with time and experience
• Adapting – going from university lifestyle to 9-5 is a big change, but a good one
• Understanding the business – Airbus has many parts, making it difficult to grasp how things work. But no one here knows everything - it takes time, patience, and curiosity
• Recovering from mistakes – it is easy to worry that the mistakes you make are detrimental, and a reflection of your capability, but it happens to everyone, every day
• The reverse parking rule in the car park

Remember, as an intern, you would be starting fresh. No question is silly – you are probably asking something that an experienced colleague is also wondering.

How can you apply to a placement year?

I used online recruitment sites – such as LinkedIn and Rate My Placement.

You may also apply via the careers section on the companies’ websites, or use Newcastle University’s MyCareer website.

Further Support

If you’re feeling unsure about your next steps or need support with applications, you can book a virtual appointment through MyCareer where advisers are on hand to guide you through the process.

You can also explore our Preparing to Find a Placement Pathway to help you take the next steps towards securing a placement.

After securing your placement, make sure to check who manages your placement year and follow their guidance on informing the university.

Find out more about Newcastle University placement support, including advice and funding.