Power Academy Student Review

I found the internship exceptionally rewarding. It was great to be given work that is directly applicable to the work of my team and to also have the opportunity to produce a document that will go to industry with my name on it! I found the placement challenging but it there was great support from my 'unofficial' line manager. The only slight taint was I felt slightly separated from the day to day work of the team as the document would be used in future, rather than something that is useful now. It might have been good to feel a little more involved. However, the team was very friendly!

My 'unofficial' line manager was very supportive and made me and the guy I was working with feel like we were doing something valuable. The team was always welcoming and were great to have a laugh with, My actual line manager was not as good at giving positive feedback which on occasion was a little discouraging, however his comments were mostly constructive and he was pleased with the work we produced which was good!

My 'unofficial' line manager was brilliant! We aimed to have meetings once a week to keep up the progress of the project, in reality we met up a little less often, however, that was because we didn't end up needed to chat that often. Instead, he was always available to chat through issues, give his opinion and guidance, or to give us the confidence to escalate problems when necessary. My actual line manager was also good at making time to chat with me and my work colleague. However, we spent less time with him so we built less of a relationship which was unfortunate. It would have been nice to have had more interaction with my line manager as he ultimately reviewed my progress and was not as aware of the work I had completed as my 'unofficial' line manager was.

The work that was given to me and my colleague at the start of the placement felt daunting and a lot of time management was required to complete the document to a high standard. However, with good time management, I was always busy but never stressed and was still able to attend additional site visits when the opportunities came. Only once did I feel like I couldn’t attend a visit which was a bit of a shame, however it was the right decision for the project and it enabled the project to be completed on time.

I was given, with my colleague, the responsibility to produce a document by the end of 8 weeks that would be reviewed before being sent out to industry with our names on it – so quite a big responsibility! We were also trusted to work independently and to manage our own time which gave us freedom to work in a style that suited us and resulted in a completed document.

I think the opportunity to write an industry standard document as an undergrad is invaluable - both the experience and the written evidence will be great for applications for Chartership in the future. Degree wise, the problem solving side of the project was great and should help me working in a team I my final year. The project was technical, however not quite the level of university so it won’t necessarily help with my studies.

Generally, the atmosphere in the office was good. Noticeably, one woman in the office always made people laugh and days when she wasn’t in, the banter was definitely less! However, the rest of the team were warm and friendly. Under the surface, there was a little tension between the manager and one of the team members which was a bit awkward to be told about, maybe unnecessarily so (!). But aside from this, the team’s atmosphere was a positive one to work in!

The placement was exceptionally well organised. From the induction day onwards, I had everything I needed to complete my work and knew what was required of me at all times. Before the placement we went to a welcome day where I could choose the area of the business I would be working in, and then between then and stating, was given the contact details of my line manager. This made the transition into working very easy.

The company ran several training sessions on software used in the company were great to attend. Site visits were easy to organise and were a great way to see more of the business. The company even gave me an opportunity to sit on shift with a control engineer which involved the company paying for me and my colleague to stay overnight in a hotel, hire a car and miss a day working directly on the project – this was a fantastic opportunity.

Future employment is very appealing! I have accepted a place on the graduate programme because I have enjoyed my placement so much this year so I will be starting work permanently for National Grid in September 2017. I am looking forward to building on the Network I have already begun to create!

National Grid hired around 20 Power Academy Students which meant the social scene was great. We split into houses to share and have met up with the other houses at least twice a week. This has included going on nights out, pub quizzes, BBQs and playing different sports in local parks. It has been one of the highlights of the placement as all of us got along so well and became a pretty close unit.

Last year, one of the guys on the scheme was put in contact with a landlord that supplies uni accommodation cheaply to us during the summer while the students are away. This meant the rent was very good at £250 per month! (Leamington is usually a lot more expensive than that!) However, you get what you pay for, with the accommodation being at best pretty gross and at worse falling apart! But as a temporary two month fix, it was a place to stay close to work and it enabled us to save our earnings somewhat! The night outs were reasonably priced with drinks being quite cheap. There are lots of places to eat out in Leamington and are reasonably priced.

Last year, our club of choice was Altoria, this year it was Smack. Smack has pretty offensive bright LED lights on the floor, walls and ceiling which make you feel like you’re tripping when you walk in, but the music is good and the drinks are cheap so we probably went too often!

National Grid runs clubs for almost anything from sports to faith groups. Some can be attended during lunch breaks such as bee walks and gym sessions, and others are held after work. In addition to this, my team and a few others went for drinks together which was a nice addition to the placement.