Supply Chain Industrial Placement Review

I have been extremely enjoying my work placement with EDF Energy. Everyone has been very welcoming and focussed on me and my personal development and learning. The support systems in place are fantastic, and they allow me to adapt my placement to focus on the tasks and job roles that suit me and allow me to benefit the most from.

All of my colleagues are extremely supportive, and very focussed on helping me perform to the best of my abilities. They are very appreciative of any work that I can do to help them, and often give very positive feedback to both myself and my line manager, which leaves me feeling very valued within the team.

My supervisors set me objectives at the beginning of my time in their teams, and towards the end of my rotation in their team it is expected that we review these objectives together and assess my performance. Throughout the rotations I feel supported in achieving my objectives and am allocated work that will support me in my development.

Towards the beginning of my placement the work load was quite small, however it soon started to pick up. Now I am busy on a regular basis, and always have enough work to keep me both busy and productive. The workload is balanced well and I do not feel stressed by the amount of work expected of me.

I have been given a lot of responsibility and independence during my placement year. Whilst I work alongside my colleagues on a daily basis, I feel that they push me to be more responsible for the work I produce, and also allow me to represent EDF in ways such as contracting with suppliers.

I believe that the skills and knowledge that I am developing here at EDF Energy will stand me in good stead to forge a successful career for myself. I feel that I am learning a lot, and these are all things that will stay with me through my future studies and career path.

The general atmosphere is extremely welcoming and enjoyable. Everyone I have spoken to have been very helpful and friendly, and it results in a fantastic working environment. People are always willing to spare time for you, and help as much as they possibly can. I have never felt as though my questions are wasting their time or an inconvenience.

Whilst the recruitment process was quite un-organised from a HR point of view, my actual placement has been very well organised and beneficial to me. I always have a clear idea of what is expected of me, and also who I can speak to if I need any help. I have been allocated a line manager, an executive who is my sponsoring manager, and an informal mentor all within my department, and who all have a vested interest in my success.

EDF Energy invest a lot of time and effort into my personal development. I have been sent on numerous training courses to help me improve my knowledge, and if there is something I want that isn't currently being offered to me, raising it with my line manager usually allows me to be able to do it. The organisation are very open to me participating in any activities that allow me to expand my knowledge.

The placement year that I am currently on has given me a great impression of EDF Energy, and leads me to want to pursue the graduate scheme once my university year is over. There are a variety of graduate opportunities within EDF Energy and these are heavily promoted to the Industrial Placement students.

The social scene was not huge outside of work, however there are many opportunities to socialise and attend work related events. Getting involved in different professional networks at work are always a good way to be sociable and can lead to more activities outside of work. We also have a departmental Christmas meal which is a good opportunity to socialise with your colleagues.

Living in Gloucester is relatively cheap, as there are a lot of student housing options, and as I chose to share with other EDF placement students this worked out very well for me. The rental prices of houses aren't bad, and there are also a lot of student deals in the local area to make use of.

The nightlife in Gloucester is okay, but not fantastic. There are student nights on Eastgate Street but these are all during the week, which isn't practical whilst working full time. The nightlife is not something that has bothered me, and there are the opportunities to go out at the weekends although these are expectedly more expensive.

There are a few opportunities to get involved with different professional networks within EDF Energy such as the Young Professionals Network, which can lead to you organising social events outside of work should you wish. There are also sports and social clubs which offer some level of competition and the opportunity to meet new people.