IT Technical Support Review

I really enjoyed the variety of work available within my work placement. As I was working on a project, periodically work requirements would differ significantly.

The team I joined last october still has its original members, and we have come a long way since then. First impressions are very deceptive in a business environment. And this isn't for the cliche reasons. I have found people who have come across very badly at first turned out to be surprisingly different, in a good way.

I was always finding support from my manager for the first six months. After Christmas I was appointed a line manager, which made submitting timesheets or having forms signed much more efficient (mainly because my actual boss had been promoted to Programme Lead).

On a daily basis I was kept very busy. There are always quiet days of course, but this is important. Those who are typically kept very busy are those with routine jobs, so having a job with lots of variety inevitably means there will be a period of transition between tasks.

I was surprised with the level of responsibility apportioned to me. When I first joined, I was given the task to manage a refresh of all the machines in two emergency dispatch offices. This was an invaluable experience, from managing business staff to managing logistics.

I believe the skills I have developed are for life. I worked on one of the, if not the largest project I ever will work on. The transformation at National Grid will have an impact over the next generation and longer. Working alongside Ernst and Young, Wipro, ESRI, SAP and Syclo vendors will be an experience I will always be able to learn from.

My office typically had 350 employees in, just on the ground floor. When I joined, this was 450. There was so a health and safety issue raised however (as an individual desk, designed for 1 person, was sitting 3 on average). As the programme moved forward, the office was reschuffled several times and had overflows in other nearby offices. My office was open plan, so the noise certainly travelled.

As this is a project I was being introduced to, it wasn't a case of being moved around different departments and trying out logistics, human resources etc as these didn't exist. The project was an IT project, designed to realign National Grids infrastructure with their competitors. In this sense, every different area I was introduced to, was a different element of IT.

Personal training and development all came from experience.

I have the chance to pursue a graduation placement with National Grid, although they have advised me to consider Ernst and Young first.

I was the youngest in my office, but the social scene was very good nonetheless.

I commuted from home, but Solihull can be expensive to live in. Socialising was no worse than going out in Birmingham.

Several night clubs and lots of bars, everyone catered for. Student nights are frequent, although I didn't always categorise myself as a student.

Very few activities promoted by National Grid to do outside work. Could have done more to create sports and social clubs.