Year in Industry Review

I was able to explore different areas of the business and the flexibility of that was great, once I had the contacts. As a result, I haven't really had a consistent role but it has been very much an enjoyable experience. I also got involved with the many employee networks within the business, giving a bit more variety to each week and invites to various events throughout the year.

Due to only being with Network Rail for a year and the relatively short lengths of my placements, I didn't have the opportunity to get stuck in with too many projects, however the experience was great in spite of this.

I've been able to pick up various skills through my placements and been taught new software on each placement I've been on. Most of these built on previous knowledge in some form, but a couple I had to basically learn from scratch - however I was helped along the way and was never stuck for too long as a result. I've also built on my personal skills plenty throughout the year, improving my organisation and becoming more confident with emails alongside getting better at working within a team in-person.

All the teams I've been on placement with were welcoming and quickly brought me up to speed with their roles and whatever software or skills I needed to make the most out of my time with them. My line manager was also been easy to talk to and work with, and I was able to sort out visits to explore other parts of the industry pretty easily. It wasn't exactly perfect all the time, but it was all there when it mattered.

Most people have been easy to talk to, though some of the response times when emailing have been rather poor at times, and you occasionally won't get a response. I've gotten involved with various diversity events within the company and the places I've been have been inclusive in my eyes. I am aware that this can vary across the business, but it generally seem to be good.

The placement overall was very enjoyable, though it did require a lot of initiative on my part at times to get the most out of it. I did have a couple placements I didn't particularly enjoy, but I was generally able to sort another opportunity fairly quickly.
It did feel like Year in Industry students were somewhat forgotten about due to there being so few of us, and there wasn't much guidance laid out on how things worked for us. It did feel like being in an awkward spot between apprentices and graduates, though I was generally put in with apprentices.
If you have a decent cost centre and a good line manager, you should be able to find your way around the business and experience as much as you can. You will need contacts, which was a struggle at the start of my placement, but once you have them, you should be able to find your way around.

Yes