Assistant Asset Engineer Review

The flexibility of Network Rail’s placement scheme allowed me to work with different teams across the organisation and gave me the opportunity to build myself experience within the industry to kickstart my professional development. The combination of working at the office and going out on site visits across the UK is something I really enjoyed as I was able to put theory into practice and strengthen my understanding of assets Network Rail own, maintain, and develop.

The objectives that I had set for myself for this placement were in accordance with the ICE attributes in order to help me obtain my chartership. My line manager and my team were very supportive of my objectives as they ensured to assign me to tasks that would require me to demonstrate a few of the ICE attributes. For example, I obtained me Personal Track Safety competency in order to develop a sound knowledge on legislation, hazards and safe systems of work on the railway.

Initially, I was assigned to a set amount of tasks to work on at the same time. As time progressed, I was able to develop competency and trust with my team, and as a result of this I was given more tasks with bigger responsibilities. For example, I successfully managed to review a significant volume of enabling works within a reduced timescale mandated by a client to identify potential cost savings.

The support I received from my line manager and the different teams I worked with was amazing. Everyone was always friendly and always willing to help me. They shared their experiences with me and gave me useful advices for my career.

I have worked with two teams within the company, one was with track and the other was with structures. Both teams ensured to set up regular social events for work colleagues to meet up outside of work in order to get to know each other and create fun memories together. After work, my colleagues and I arranged to play a sport called Padel, which was really fun and good for our health and fitness.

Overall, I really enjoyed being part of Network Rail's placement scheme as I was able to explore the different sectors within the organisation and discover my personal preferences. The combination of working from home/office and going out on site walks was a big standout for me as it enabled me to experience working in different environments. Having constant support from my line manager and seeing how much he wanted me to get the most out of my placement made my experience at Network Rail a million times better.

Yes

The application process could take some time (4-5 months) as there are multiple stages you would need to go through. This includes a situational judgement test, a game-based online assessment, a video interview and finally the assessment centre. Before joining Network Rail, I was not aware of the different sectors that exist within the organisation and thought it was mainly track and signalling. There are sectors like geotechnical engineering, structures and drainage, where you could explore and gain experience from all in one company.