Cutstomer Operations Review

My placement was split into rotations, or smaller placements within the whole, so the enjoyment varied between them. The first placement was an advisor which was a little monotonous, and after the first weeks developed few skills. Later placement were more stretching, had more freedom to develop areas that I chose, and generally were more enjoyable as I was given more freedom and responsibility.

I am given as much responsibility as my other team members. I have deadlines to meet and changes occur as a result of my work, so my colleagues value me as much as the rest of the team. I feel as though I would be welcome back to the teams if I wanted to return in future.

My scheme lead went out of his way to provide as much guidance as possible during my placement. We have regular 1-2-1s to discuss my current work and development areas, and he is there to aid in transitioning between roles. There was also a mock assessment centre at the end of my final placement to asses my progress over the year. My mangers have each given weekly 1-2-1s to help with my day to day work and progressing actions to meet my objectives. Each have given their full support.

The workload varied very much from week to week and between my placements. At times there was not very much to be done and at times there was so much that I was working overtime, but able to claim the time back when we reached the less busy times. Generally I had enough to keep me occupied and was free to find more work myself when it was less busy.

I was given as much responsibility as my other team members. I was able to lead my own pieces of work at times and at times supported the work of others. If ever I was struggling with the workload or responsibility I was able to go to my line manger for help and advice.

General time management and organisation will help make a more productive final year of university. I developed many softer skills on the placement and the ability to think from a more commercial perspective, as well as lots of knowledge on the energy industry if this is the area in which I build my future career. I feel more prepared for interviews and assessments and know how to evidence my achievements.

My first office was friendly but strict. As it was a call centre there were many rules that needed adhering to which was initially an adjustment to make. Later offices were friendly, relaxed and cooperative. We regularly enjoyed treats and bake sales among the team and it was very easy to feel comfortable and also get any help needed from colleagues. The hot-desking did provide some issues with enough seating for everyone in the same area.

It took a week to set up my IT during the start of my first placement, with limited other opportunities to keep us busy while it was being sorted. There was also some uncertainty around the length of the first placement and where we would be going for the second one. Otherwise, it was well set up, with end of placement reviews to keep me on track throughout each role. The least organised part was the communication received around graduate schemes.

Weekly meetings with my line manager and fortnightly 1-2-1s with my scheme lead meant I was constantly developing and keeping track of that development against my objectives. This was evidenced at a mock assessment centre towards the end of the scheme. There are also training courses available online to complete when needed.

I very much enjoyed working for E.on and like the culture and direction that the business is taking. If jobs are available after graduate I would be happy to pursue a career here. There is a specific graduate level scheme. However, there was a lot of uncertainty over this during the year, with some expectations set and not met. The new graduate scheme is less appealing than the initial view we were given, and the fast track process is not as streamlined as it once was. Going straight into a job is more appealing than the graduate scheme at this point.

There were quarterly community days where all the undergraduates got together to learn more about the other areas of the business and socialise with each other, which were always enjoyable. Outside of this there was little in terms of socialising between the undergraduates, partly due to us being spread between different cities.

Nottingham is a relatively cheap area to live in. There is cheap accommodation available and many activities in and around the city which are very affordable. The city trams are only £1.50 for students so transport out of the centre is very affordable too. There are parks locally to enjoy daytime activities as well.

Nottingham nightlife is varied and diverse, with many options around. I didn't participate in the nightlife very much but if there had been a social group of undergraduates in Nottingham it's likely there would be plenty of places to go at affordable prices. There are two universities so other students are around too.

Some of the men in my teams went to a weekly football games in the summer. Other than this I did not hear of any organised activities outside of work. However, my team sometimes went out for meals or drinks to celebrate or say goodbye to another colleague who was leaving.