Finance Graduate Review

My experience has been good. I always feel as an investment for the company that is valued with opportunities of exposure.

I have experienced a few roles within group efficiencies and a route finance team these are very different areas as the route role looks into track maintenance and volumes of parts and the corresponding spend. My time in Efficiencies was great as this was new and outside any education I have completed. The value in efficiencies within a government funded organisation where value for money is the priority rather than profits is a great thing to be apart of which has added great knowledge and value to my understanding.

I took ownership of tasks as my placements progressed at a time I felt competent to deliver whilst also being supported by the team.

I feel that the compensation package is suitable as the work itself is not difficult but can be complex but the difficulty comes in balancing work college and moving for placements.

I feel I have been given great exposure to various areas of the business. Meeting multiple individuals from various disciplines helps master soft skills vital for a career but the hard technical skills can be difficult to master due to the duration of placements.

The scheme has many avenues of support. Personally, I have a great open relationship with my line manager and also have a mentor and a buddy that I speak to regularly. These have genuine interest in my development whilst also looking for opportunities for more exposure to areas I otherwise my not touch.

Work life balance is good. People are very accommodating for flexible working hours and any required adjustments. Sometimes there seems to be a lack of communication across management as there has been times where multiple deadlines have fell at the same time as exams and days of travel when they could've been easily set for a quieter period. This has recently been improving following feedback.

Organisational culture at the start of my scheme was unexpected as graduates had a different expectation of in office days compared to the teams we were in. This was done as it was known the company would shift to change the policies for all to be the same as the grad scheme. With more people returning to the office there has been improvements to the atmosphere in the office. This effect varies between placements.

I am a EDI champion at network rail which is a great initiative for me to gain exposure to issue that others face in these spaces and methods implemented to challenge barriers that can be seen in the corporate world. I am apart of a mentorship where we discuss experiences and theoretical situations to understand the another perspective on these issues.

Yes

Network rail has been a great experience that has provided a number of opportunities' that have seen me develop in my role and in myself. Alongside achieving a professional qualification that is greatly supported by the organisation.

The recruitment process was very transparent with the schemes structure and what to expect. There are various roles that I can role off into and the scheme has given a great exposure for the skills that are required.