Controls Analyst Review

It has been a really engaging, eye-opening and enjoyable experience that I will not forget. The environment is the company, the amount of people ready to help and the great colleagues I worked with, contributed all together to my great summer placement experience. I would like to recommend this opportunity and ensure you that you will enjoy every minute you spend in the company. Now, upon my departure, I look back at my experiences and really appreciate my luck for being part of this.

My line manager and wider team have always supported and helped me with my job engagements but also with my volunteering opportunities and my general business engagement. I have worked in Centrica in line with my colleagues and were given responsibility early but also received a lot of support and feedback. My team relied on my work and I tried to support their projects whenever I could. I felt part of the team and also chaired one team meeting.

My line manager, team and even colleagues I worked with for a realatively short period of time, were really supportive and took the time to explain every detail that I did not understand. They provided me with great coaching and examples from their own experience on what is right and how to go about achieving success.

At the beginning of my summer placement I was not given a lot of work and time was spend around making sure I am comfortable in the team and understand what I was going to do. As time passed by, I was given more responsibility and start working alone, requiring minimal supervision. I have had a week where I had to do a lot of things but you are responsible for your own flow of work. I had to arrange meetings with people who travel a lot so that busy period was mandatory because they were all around for me to interview. Alternatively, I could have called them but I prefer the 1-2-1 interaction.

At first not a lot, I was responsible for day-to-day tasks, which did not require a lot of preparation and execution time. As time went by, I was responsible for arranging the meetings, managing them, summarizing the information given, producing a document, checking it and forwarding it for feedback. I was basically responsible for my part of the business, where nobody messed about and was left to do my job from start to finish. Reporting regularly of course.

The skills and experiences that I have taken aboard will be vital for securing a graduate job. Now, I have business knowledge and business examples of the skills that I have listed in my CV. Those will come handy in interviews and assessment centres. What's more, acquiring general business skills such as time management, working to deadlines, prioritising and being a team player will assist me into providing a fit between the organisational needs and my capacities.

The atmosphere has been great. Colleagues really enjoyed working with me and joking with me. Little did they know that after the initial ice breaking I was able to come back at them with one liners and enhance the work atmosphere.

It was all really structured and well organised. At each stage of it we all knew what we were doing and what we were supposed to do in the next sort of stage. The graduate/internship team have taken extra care of us and checked on us regularly, making sure we are alright and happy.

There was an orientation day organised by the company, where we all met and introduced each other but also learnt a bit more about the company and what we were going to do. There were plenty of feedback sessions during the summer placement to make sure we are on track. Centrica also organised a development day in head office to enhance our technical knowledge for half a day but also organised a team building exercise involving climbing, running, working as a team, coming up with creative ideas and competing with the others. I really enjoyed that and I would say it was really nice day out of the office and seeing everybody in s slightly different way.

I have applied for the graduate scheme and asked for possibly getting on it in as soon as possible. I have really enjoyed my time and would love to carry on working for the company. Moreover, they provide you with great opportunities to study for a professional qualification whilst working; supporting you in achieving this qualification; giving you the opportunity to work with the best professionals in the industry; providing you with steady self-developement and opportunity to move around within the company, and offering you a generous pay and paid leave.

There were students from everywhere around the world and the atmosphere was incredible. I remember watching the World Cup with everyone - facinating experience. We were going out together every weekend: eating out, going to the pub, travelling around the UK, attending football games, LegoLand visit, playing football after work and socialising when we were tired.

Bearing in mind that Egham and Windsor are relatively posh places, it wasn't more expensive than Manchester or any other places up north. London was obviously a different experience.

Windsor and London on Friday night were the usual places. When tired, staying around Egham and Staines was really nice as well.

Charity events, gym, triathlon challenge, pub craws.