Offshore Wind Vessel Coordinator Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my year at E.ON, there were so many opportunities and it was a really welcoming environment to work in. I travelled across the country and to Germany, met many different people and gained valuable insight into an exciting industry.

I felt extremely valued, especially once I had worked there for a while, people would phone and email questions to me based on my specific knowledge - that I had built up throughout the placement.

I was very independent and worked from home for a period with little supervision however, my line manager was always there to answer any questions and work through next steps on my projects especially to find the best solution.

To begin with I wasn't that busy, I was eased into the role - reading reports, going on courses and visiting different wind farms and this helped to build my knowledge so that I would be able to work on more detailed and important projects towards the middle of my placement which demanded a lot more of my time. I attended a project management course and learnt to prioritise projects and specific deadlines, working on multiple projects did have me extremely busy at times, however, I enjoyed the placement most when I was busy and facing a challenge.

Once I had worked on a few projects and completed some to a good level, I was give a very important project to work on which will change the way E.ON operates.

I have gained so much confidence in my abilities which is something I was hoping for. I also worked with several different teams, emailing and ringing people on a daily basis which improved my communication skills especially after reflecting on any mistakes I had made. The project management course emphasised on planning and clear expectations before starting the project which I will definitely take forwards into the final year of my degree.

There was a welcoming atmosphere in every office I visited but I particularly liked to visit smaller offices where there was a real team spirit which I felt very included in. I was one of the only ones from my team located in the main office which meant I had to be very independent.

I was introduced to my role gradually with smaller tasks which allowed me to build connections and develop key skills for the world of work. Once I had demonstrate my capabilities and understood the business more, which was about six months into my placement, I was given more responsibility and bigger, more important projects to work on. My role developed throughout the placement and my tasks weren't set at the beginning. The projects I worked on were given to me because of how I had performed and not because they were tasks for an undergraduate, there is definitely a lot of opportunity at E.ON and it is up to the individual to make the most of it.

I was sent on several courses including a project management course which I have really benefitted from and will take with me into the last year of my university course. I also attended many external meetings and conferences, travelling to different locations to do so, and this really helped my understanding of the energy industry, specifically renewables and the difficulties and areas of focus for different companies.

The future employment prospects within the company are good, there is a grad scheme which you can apply to during your placement and you have the opportunity to make some valuable contacts. The grad scheme involves another assesment centre so make sure you prepare well.

There were twelve undergraduates based at the office I was in, all in different roles and working in different areas so it was great to meet up at lunch every day. We often met up outside of work too.

It was cheaper than where I went to uni, Kent, and maybe slightly more expensive than where I grew up in Manchester but overall it was reasonably priced.

I am not one for going out ok much but when I did I really enjoyed it. There were a few clubs close by and there were many more if you were prepared to get the train there and an expensive taxi home - the area had really good rail links.

A few of my friends played football in every week with colleagues but other than that I didn't find many other opportunities.