Charging Analyst Review

I really enjoyed my placement here- my placement provided a lot of opportunity for development and helped start my career in the energy industry. It encouraged the development of the skills which I wanted to improve, and the development of the skills I wanted to stretch further. I was also given many opportunities for site visits, meetings with external stakeholders and more!

My colleague at National Grid helped me feel really valued throughout my whole placement. I have had the chance to get to know my department really well both inside and outside of the office. My colleagues have always been approachable, and have encouraged me to ask them questions if I have been unsure.

I was given a lot of support and guidance throughout my placement from my line manager (supervisor). My line manager regularly and I regularly met to discuss my progress against my objectives and development plan. This was really useful for providing valuable feedback in order to complete my objectives and progress in my development.

My role varied in levels of business on a daily basis. During the start of the placement I was tasked with learning about how the company works and my business area. As my technical and commercial knowledge increased I became busier on a daily basis up to the end of my placement.

I was given a lot of responsibility throughout my placement. This varied from being responsible for writing and publishing reports for the team which went to senior management, to presenting to external stakeholders from the wider industry in customer forums. My line manager was supportive in the amount of responsibility to give me, ensuring that it wasn’t too much or too little.

The skills and training I received will assist me greatly in my degree studies and beyond. I have improved skills such as my levels of confidence in communicating with stakeholders, and my levels of planning and organising which will transfer to how I approach my degree. My technical knowledge will help me beyond my degree to build a career in the electricity industry.

The general atmosphere in the office was friendly. In my office used smart work-spaces, which means that you can set up your workstation at any desk that is available. This helped create a friendly atmosphere as I had the opportunity to sit with new people every week and build strong relationships with.

My placement was very well organised- we were inducted into the company a few months before we started to learn about the areas we would be working in and the general office layout. The industrial placement scheme was well organised; it provided training right at the start and end of the placement. There were also optional, additional courses which we could take to develop particular skills throughout the placement.

I felt that the company invested a lot into my personal training and development. The training was high quality and run by external, professional companies. My development was reviewed on a quarterly basis, and I was given awards where I completed activities which were beyond expectations. I was also assigned a graduate as a buddy to give advice to me through my placement.

Future employment prospects are very appealing within the organisation. For my year industrial placement students who are able to perform well may potentially be offered a place on the graduate scheme come the end of the placement. The size of the company also offers many different areas and employment opportunities, from more technical to commercial roles.

The social scene was very good amongst fellow placement students and colleagues. As placement students we met up most days for lunch and were able to hang out outside of work in Leamington Spa, which offers a range of activities for students. With my colleagues Leamington Spa also offered a good social scene, whether it was a meal out or some drinks after work.

The area that most of the industrial placement students lived in was not particularly cheap – renting lets out usually costs around ~£400 per month per person. The cost was living was cheaper for me as I commuted from Coventry; however this meant that my commute was more expensive and timely as a result.

The nightlife was reasonable in Leamington Spa- it offers a few clubs and lots of bars. There are generally a lot of students out during week days who come from University of Warwick so there is a good atmosphere. Prices are fairly standard in the bars and clubs, and are quite friendly.

There were many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work ranging from sporting activates, to theatre trips and even the choir! I received regular newsletters detailing all the activities which were available during the week, which were all located within a close area to the site. Signing up was very easy as contact details are placed in these emails and on the activities hub outside the canteen.