Power System Engineer & Regulatory Analyst Review

I really enjoyed my placement, it was the first time I've worked in such a big company and it was a competently new experience for me. I met new people and made new friends who were also on placement. It was very insightful to talk to people in the position as myself studying the same degree.

I felt that my contributions are adding value to the company. My work was often used by my manager for day to day tasks. I was often praised for my achievements and given feedback on the work I’ve done. The presentation day at the end of the placement allowed me to show my work to many other people from the company which helped me to get recognised.

I was given a full set of objectives at the beginning of the placement and they were agreed by both me and my manger. I was assigned some stretch objectives also so I can push myself further if I felt I wasn’t challenged enough. The objectives were clear and achievable and suitable for a student.

I was not very busy for most days. When you are given objectives, it means that once you've finished them there isn't much left to do. Some days I was working non-stop as my work was interesting and i was making a lot of progress. But when finished I would go days without having any actual work to do and felt really bored. This is an area I wasn't very impressed by and it can definitely be improved by assigning some of the day to day tasks that are simple enough to the students that also usually done by a permanent employee.

I was given the freedom to complete my project the way I want. I was allowed to meet and discuss with people from all parts of the company as I see fit. I was responsible for my project and my project only. I wasn't given as much responsibilities as I felt I could have been given. It would be a good idea for students to be assigned some of the daily duties of other employees and be given more important work.

During my placement I learned many new technical skills and important organisation skills that will become very useful when I start my personal project in the third year of my degree. I've learned to effectively communicate with other professionals and work as part of a team. over I feel that I've taken a lot from this placement and I've matured a lot in just 2 months.

The atmosphere is great. People are lovely and everyone is willing lend a hand if you need help. Everyone appreciates that you're a student and still finding your way around and are patient with you. From your supervisor to some individual from a different part of the company, everyone is happy to help provided that you introduce yourself and clearly indicate what you need. There are relaxing areas and drinks for everyone.

It was very well structured and organised. Almost all aspects of the placement was thought through. There were many people assigned to make sure that students make the most of their placements. There were site visits and trips that ensured you're not constantly behind the desk. There were a variety or formal and informal meetings to ensure every one is doing what they suppose to. At the beginning and induction day took place where everyone was informed about do's and don't and it felt like a smooth transition from going to lectures in university to coming to office to sit behind the desk.

National Grid is probably the best company when it comes to personal training and development. There is just about close to nothing the company won't do to support you develop yourself personally. There training sessions to teach you how to use programs such as power factory and all the opportunities were available for you to develop yourself into a skilful professional.

Very appealing. A great company to work for with a great graduate development program that offers a competitive salary plus other benefits. After speaking to other individuals on the grad scheme it was clear that the company allows their graduates to develop and broaden themselves by giving a choice placements they can take part in, the graduate scheme offers three placements that can open a small window in different parts of the company from which you can learn a lot from.

National Grid takes in a lot of student on placement programs. Having so many of us meant that we could share a house to keep the costs low and have a lot to do in the weekends and evenings. We BBQ'd and went out for drinks regularly and had meals together. Having my placement in summer meant that the weather was generally nice enough to go for a picnic or play football with everyone else.

Leamington spa is the closest city to live in if you''re working in National Grid House. There were plenty of student housing available at a decent price which can be rented privately with agencies. However the standard of housing was generally really poor. However, the houses were available new the city and station from where free bus takes you to work which meant I saved a lot of money on travel.

Great nightlife, many places to drink and clubs to go to. Because placements are in summer most student aren't in the city and the clubs aren't always packed. But it didn't matter when there were about 15 of us going together to have a great time. Plenty of places to eat food and a fantastic city town with lots of shops.

Yes, although I didn't personally get involved, there are sports teams that you can play for and pub quizzes. Within the office there are gym facilities that are free for all employees. There is a table tennis table also which anyone can have ago on to stretch some leg. Everyone is welcome to partake as they see fit and all event are available on the information board in the office.