Business Leadership Stream - Continuous Improvement Analyst Review

I was on the 'Business Leadership' stream based in the Leeds Canal St office and worked as a Continuous Improvement Analyst within the British Gas brand. I was given ownership over my own project for the Summer which meant that I was always busy and was able to travel to a lot of the different offices to engage with stakeholders which was a fab opportunity given the length of the placement. Everyone in the office was super welcoming and friendly and I felt well supported throughout, as well as being given the freedom to explore any areas of the business that I was interested in, so I really enjoyed and would recommend the placement.

I was immediately added into the team's weekly catch up calls and was given the same time as my colleagues to explain developments in my project, so it was clear that my work was taken seriously. I was given extra work when one of the team fell ill and I was really treated in the same way as the rest of the permanent staff. Everyone throughout the business who I engaged with was perfectly happy to spend time with me either to help me out with my project, talk through their journey within Centrica or to offer advice and contacts to find out any information that they weren't able to provide.

I had a fab support network - a graduate 'buddy' to ask any questions before starting my placement, a line manager throughout who made it very clear and made me feel comfortable that I could call her at any time with any questions or concerns, a slightly more senior manager of the department I was working in who was very happy to speak through my project and its direction with me, and a fellow continuous improvement analyst who sort of mentored me throughout the scheme, showing me how he ran projects and helping me with any contacts I needed or direction with data analysis that I might need. Having said that, I never felt like I was being micro managed - I was always given the freedom to organise my time and be proactive in my approach.

I was always very busy and in control of my own diary - having my own project to run meant I needed to prioritise and plan ahead. I'd be organising meetings with stakeholders, writing up notes and compiling a business case for any identified solutions to the project I had been working on. I was responsible for taking part in a charity project alongside my own one, and the team were happy for me to visit business areas that I had particular interest in, so I had a day out with an engineer, a day doing a continuous improvement accreditation, a day in the London offices finding out more about the opportunities in the Hive & Local Heores brands and plenty of other development days with all of the interns.

A lot more than I was expecting - I really do own my own project and have the freedom to tackle it as I wish. The team and everyone I have engaged with take me and my work seriously and I think that I have got a lot out of the placement as a result.

I graduated over the summer so the skills I have gained won't be applicable there, but the professionalism, stakeholder management skills, time management, strategic thinking, continuous improvement accreditation, knowledge about the business and confidence that this placement has given me will be of huge value going forward, so it has been hugely beneficial.

The Canal St office is predominantly a call centre, and the team that I sat in was in a smaller office to the side, where there were about 13 people regularly working. The office is not a glamorous one - most people wear fairly casual clothes (no blazers or suits at all) and it's a pretty relaxed atmosphere as a result. Everyone in the office was very friendly and happy to have a chat, but most staff work from home on Fridays, however I wasn't able to access everything I would need to from home so would have to go into the office which usually pretty quiet on Fridays.

Very well organised - [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] & [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] did a fantastic job of making sure we had all of the information we would need both in advance and throughout the placement. It was also the fastest and friendliest recruitment process I have been through. I found it a seamless transition from interview into the placement, with my flat and any necessary travel arrangements organised for me as well as having a thorough induction, development days and project waiting for me.

A lot - it is clear that Centrica want to invest in their interns and it sounds as though it is a very good way to get on to the grad scheme. As I have said, I have had the freedom to explore the company at my will and so have been to the London offices to explore opportunities in Hive and Local Heroes, have had a one to one session with the graduate talent manager for my area, a mid placement review with my line manager, an accreditation in the type of work I am doing and I've had training in excel, presentation skills and had the chance to present to a Level 5 member of staff

I am very likely to take on the grad scheme if I get an offer. My only concern is the fact that I would have to work outside of London, where I want to be working, for at least 11 months of the scheme since there no are front end (3 months - compulsory) or team leader (8 months - compulsory) roles available in London. The work in Hive/Local Heroes is what really appeals to me and demonstrates the variety of work available within the business.

I believe there are 57 interns on this intake and a large majority of them are based in Windsor/Staines and so live together in Royal Holloway accommodation. Clearly being based in Leeds this means I don't see a lot of these interns, but when we join them for development days it's always a really welcoming and sociable environment. There are only 3 of us up in Leeds, all living in the same flat which is nice. We watched world cup matches together, walked to work together and have been out together, and the office arranged a night out for us too which was fun. I've also been able to mix with the Manchester interns when work has taken me there as the initial induction and development day did a good job of helping me get to know them.

The cost of living in Leeds itself doesn't seem too bad and the fact that Centrica organised and paid for our accommodation clearly helped a lot. The part for me that made it a little expensive was the fact that I needed to go home/back to uni on a fair few weekends for various birthdays/graduation etc and trains from Leeds added up quite a lot.

As I say, I have been away on a lot of weekends and so haven't explored Leeds as much as I would have liked to, but I know that Leeds is notorious for having a pretty good nightlife scene and there are also some lovely rooftop bars and stuff. My flatmate also convinced me to go to a strange riverside party with him one night.

A little - the charity challenge provided some variety and the opportunity to explore other offices and lines of work was good too, but in general the office didn't really provide a lot of opportunities for activities outside of work. I joined a cheap gym v near our accommodation if that counts?