Process Analyst Review

I highly enjoyed my work placement this year with National Grid. The opportunity to work within the System Operator allowed me to discover more about the role that National Grid plays in the energy industry whilst providing me with relevant industry experience. Overall, for anyone considering applying to National Grid I couldn't recommend it enough.

My colleagues were very supportive; offering assistance as required and really made me feel like one of the team. On occasion, I was tasked with running team hub meetings which gave me the opportunity to find out more about other projects that team members were working on. My team made me feel valued by asking how I was progressing through my assigned project and by offering further insights into how things could be delivered.

My line manager was very supportive through the whole process and made it clear that he would always be available for questions. Since it was a final placement he gave me the chance to work more independently and to make my own decisions as required. I appreciated being given this type of responsibility in a work placement and feel that it really helped build up my confidence.

What sets National Grid apart from other companies is that during a placement you will be assigned a specific project to deliver. This meant that at the end of my placement I had a tangible output to deliver. While this seemed daunting at first that was not the case. The assigned projects are well balanced and still allow for the occasional site visit throughout the placement. I managed to attend 5 full day site visits throughout my placement with a standard working day of 08:30-16:30.

I was given a considerable amount of responsibility as an intern. Every intern has a project to deliver to there respective department or business area which are designed to add value to the company. The projects are not simply bust work, they are real projects that would have to be completed whether you were there or not. Having the opportunity to add value to the company in this way is very rewarding and makes the work more interesting.

My work placement gave me the opportunity to learn more both about National Grid as a whole and the role it plays as the System Operator. Working alongside power system engineers and finding out about the challenges they face on a daily basis was very interesting. Many topics that I discussed with team members is now being discussed in engineering lectures. Furthermore, attending presentation training sessions and practising presentations has made me a more confident public speaker.

The atmosphere was professional yet relaxed. Dress code with business (tie optional) and every Friday was casual wear. Everyone was very friendly and wanted to see that you were having a good placement and would offer help if required. Some departments have a different feel from others, some are very talkative while others are quiet with everyone wearing headphones. My team was a bit louder and busier, though that just made it more interesting to be in. If you needed a quieter place, study booths and rooms were available.

The placement scheme had a very good structure in terms of quarterly reviews. Reviews were student lead and followed the same format each time. It was made very clear to us at the start of the placement what was expected of us and this was reinforced at each review. I was also involved in the Student Quality Improvement Group which helped smooth out any issues we had in our placement as well as improve further any of the positives for future students. We were involved in organising knowledge share days and site visits which were part of the placement structure which helped improve our skills.

We had a lot of training with all the industrial placement students which targeted improving our commercial and business awareness and also personal development. The training helped develop our development plans and focused on improving our objectives giving us areas to develop. In Finance we also had accounting training courses which taught us about accounting terminology which is commonly used around the office and also how basic T accounts work with Credits and Debits.

The Industrial Placement scheme at National Grid is a direct route into the Graduate programme and is to be treated like a yearlong interview in which you should showcase what you have to offer in order to secure a place on the Grad Scheme. The Grad Scheme gives you the chance to explore different areas of Finance as well as completing your accounting qualification which is a great way to start a career after university.

At the Warwick office there were 8 Industrial Placement Students who met for Lunch every day when we could and also met up after work to go out for meals and drinks. There was an issue with socialising with students that were not based in Warwick as National Grid have offices all around England so travel for these students was an issue. It is also common that you would go for meals for colleague’s birthday and leaving events during work which is great as it brings the team together.

The cost of living is high around Warwick and especially in Leamington Spa, many students chose to rent rooms which cost around £500 per month. However, if you live in Leamington there is a free shuttle bus which will take you to work so travel would be cheap. Leamington Spa is fairly expensive for its nightlife, expect to pay £4 a pint but there is a Wetherspoons!

Leamington has a good nightlife especially when the students from the surrounding universities are around as it makes it a lot busier. There are a couple of clubs but Leamington is mainly good for its bars, which host live music near enough every weekend, and the bars are very close to each other so you won't have to taxi between them.

We have the corner club at National Grid House which informs you of all the clubs and activities that are taking place around National Grid; there are also loads of volunteering opportunities to get involved with also. Students and Graduates are always arranging site visits and visits to other offices as well as meals and other outings.