Power Academy Intern Review

I enjoyed my placement very much. The office was a nice place to work and everyone was very friendly. I gained a lot of valuable experience during my 2 months with National Grid and this experience will greatly help me in my University studies.

I felt very valued at the end of my placement as my project was met with positive feedback. I had colleagues coming up to me after I had finished my project asking me to show them my work and also asking me to send it to them.

I was given full support by my line manager, and any queries or issues I had were quickly resolved. My team werw also very helpful and happy to answer any questions I had.

I was busy most days which was good because the days did not drag. As I was working on the project myself I could manage my time efficiently so I could complete my task on time.

The project I was working on was an induvidual project so i was given full responibility for it. I alone was responsible for making sure the task was completed on time to a good quality.

I have developed both my personal and technical skills during my time with National Grid. These skills varied from Solar PV knowledge to a great improvement in my presentaiton skills, and both will help me in my degree studies and beyond.

The atmosphere in the office was very good with everyone being friendly. The relaxed working environment made it a good place to work, and with flexible hours you could work around any personal plans you may have. There are many seating areas throughout the office, so there was always room to conduct a meeting or even just go for a coffee (Costa Coffee).

The placement was organised very well and from start to finish the whole 2 months ran very smoothly. An induction day at the start of the placement provided us with all the information needed to start work. My objectives were stated to me on the first day of work so I could straight away get stuck in to my project.

Several site visits were organised durng my time at National Grid. These site visits helped in my personal development and the company was more than happy to pay for all of these visits. A 2 day conference in Glasgow was also paid for by the company which provided an opportunity to learn more about the other companies in the industry and what problems we are all facing.

I would love to work for National Grid in the future as it is such a diverse company with many opportunities. The Graduate scheme is definitely something I will be interested in when I finish my Degree. Both the graduate scheme and the Power Academy are very good at showing off the whole company as you move around in different departments.

There was a good relationship between all of the Power Academy interns, and we often met up outside of work. There was also many opportunities to socialse with other colleagues both during and outside of work. Everyone was very friendly and easy to get along with.

We managed to find a house in South Leamington Spa for a very cheap price (£250 a month). Cost of living was reasonable in most places, but expensive in different areas of town. Transport to work was free, as there is a shuttle bus that runs to National Grid house from the train station every half hour or so. Being only a 15 minute walk from the station, it was ideal.

I did not go out clubbing during my time in Leamington Spa, but the nightlife is okay from what I heard.

There are many big cities close by so there was many things to do outside of work.