Financial Analyst Review

I have greatly enjoyed my 12 month Industrial Placement at National Grid. The benefits of working for a company who cares so much about its employees are endless - at no other organisation will you be able to have such a good work-life balance. National Grid truly invest into their Student Development Programmes to ensure you you meet your full potential.

I have felt extremely valued at National Grid, both by my team and the company as a whole. Never have I been labelled as a ‘Placement Student’, you really are a respected member of the team and your opinion is always appreciated.

I was lucky enough to have both a Line Manager and Supervisor throughout my placement, both of whom provided me with endless support and guidance, for which I am so grateful. In addition, I was assigned a Business Coordinator who had just finished the Finance Graduate Scheme, with whom I had a monthly 1:2:1 to further discuss my development and answer any scheme related questions.

The volume of workload was well balanced throughout my placement. As my capability and understanding developed throughout the year, I was able to take ownership of an increased number of processes. Rarely have I felt stressed in my role, with the exception of 2017 Financial Year End, for which we had a lot of additional work to complete. However, we worked as a team to delegate our tasks evenly and ensure motivation was maintained.

I was given ownership of a number of processes in our team’s Monthly Balance Sheet and Reporting Cycle. Consequently, I was able to review these processes, identify any weaknesses and make improvements, therefore developing our teams efficiency. For example, I have been making amendments to our Cost of Sales Report, which has received excellent feedback from our Stakeholders.

During my time at National Grid, I have been enrolled on multiple training days, covering a variety of skills e.g. Book Keeping, Presentations, Performance Excellence. Additionally, there are numerous networking events and volunteering opportunities available to you in order to develop your communication skills. Furthermore, my supervisor has taken the time to walk me through the accounting treatment behind our major processes. All of these aspects of my placement will be of benefit to both University and my future career.

The atmosphere in the office is much less corporate feeling than I expected. Everyone is very friendly and relaxed (you would struggle to find someone who wouldn't be happy to have a quick chat while queuing for a coffee - even the CFO will say hello if you pass him in the corridor). Every wider team is allocated their own area, within which it is all hot desking, therefore you can move around and sit next to different people every day. Accountants are certainly not quiet number-crunchers as the stereotype would lead you to believe!

I think the Industrial Placement Scheme at National Grid is exceptionally well organised. The volume of opportunities available to you is far beyond that of other companies my University friends have been working at. Throughout the scheme you have weekly/monthly 1:2:1’s, quarterly reviews with HR, organise a Knowledge Share, Volunteering Day and various Site Visits. Consequently, you are constantly assessed and challenged in order to maximise your potential.

As mentioned in one of the earlier questions, I have been on multiple training courses throughout the year with external companies, to aid both my personal and professional development. National Grid hugely invest in all of their students, after all their aim is for you to want to return on their Graduate Programme. The volume of employees you meet who have remained within the company for 10+ years speaks for itself in terms of the treatment of staff.

The future employment prospects within National Grid are exceptional. Placement Students and Summer Interns are able to obtain a Graduate Programme with no further assessment, bar their performance reviews. Once qualified, employees often move roles internally as opposed to leaving National Grid, due to the nature of such a large organisation - the variety of roles available is huge. The Chief Financial Officer himself started on the Graduate Scheme!

There were 8 Placement Students based in Warwick this year and we all got along very well! On top of eating lunch together on a daily basis, we tried to have a social outside of work at least once a month, including meals, nights out, badminton, climbing etc. In addition to my IP group, I have made great friends within my wider team who I will honestly miss when I return to University. We’ve had several socials throughout the year, including going out for lunch/evening drinks, which has encouraged real team spirit.

Being based in Warwick has meant I’ve chosen to live in Leamington Spa (as do most), which is only a 5-10 minute drive from the office. Leamington is definitely the most convenient, but by no means the cheapest option - the average rental cost is between £500-600 a month for a spare room. Other options for accommodation include Warwick (a small, quaint town - potentially walkable) Coventry (much cheaper accommodation, but more difficult a location for travelling to the office) and Birmingham (accessible via 30 minute train and free shuttle bus from Leamington Station). Again, socialising in Leamington is not the most cost-effective, however there are numerous restaurants with a variety of cuisines including Italian, Cuban, Japanese, French, Indian etc. Additionally, there are many nice pubs/bars e.g. The White Horse, House, The Drawing Board.

Due to there being two Universities and several Technology Parks within a short radius of Leamington, it does come alive on Friday/Saturday nights. However, if you were looking to go for a city night out experience, Birmingham/Coventry are accessible via train/bus/taxi, however transport can be difficult back to Leamington/Warwick.

There are many activity groups available at National Grid, e.g. Squash and Football on Monday evenings and so on, which any member of staff can attend. Other activities available include Volunteering, for instance at the Big Bang Fair for Children in Birmingham.