Year in Industry Student Review
at Network Rail
Placement (10 Months+)
Civil Engineering
milton keynes
Review Submitted: November 2021
Overall Rating
4.7 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
4.8/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
Support and Guidance
4.3/5
-
Company Culture
5/5
-
Overall Experience
5/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
Working within the Technical Authority on various projects pertaining to the greater running of the railway, such as understanding and updating standards, assisting with the rollout of new technology and understanding where there are current gaps in the processes within the company and how these can be filled.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
Whilst I was learning about the new world I found myself in, not so much, but by the end of the year I was solely responsible for a number of projects whilst working with others on other jobs. I would say it was a massive amount of responsibility, especially for someone on a placement, but it is 100% tailored to the abilities of those who were taking part.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
As my first "real" job, this was great opportunity to expand my repertoire of soft skills first and foremost, being able to work in a professional environment with engineers with decades of experience was massively beneficial for this. My ability to quickly understand new concepts was improved too, alongside my technical knowledge of specifically railway engineering.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
4/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
5/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
I had both line and host managers who were always at the other end of a phone should I need any assistance at any time and they were fantastic at this. The people I was working with were also aware that I was a placement student so they would always be willing to help should I require it, or just to push me in the right direction.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
5/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
5/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
It was always positive, a great group of people to work with both within my department and the company as a whole. All very much there to make the railway a better place in whatever way they could.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
4/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
5/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
4/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
4/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
It was an incredibly enjoyable year, to be able to gain experience and actual responsibility within Network Rail and to also gain contacts within the industry that I plan on returning to upon completion of my course.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at Network Rail
5/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Network Rail to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to Network Rail
Try to be a little knowledgeable prior to any interviews or assessment centres, understand the basics of the railway and the fundamentals of whatever department you're going in to but also be open minded, there is a vast amount of information to learn from some of the most knowledgeable people in their respective fields. Always ask questions too, staff there are always more than happy to answer.
