Meet the team

My perceptions prior to joining were very positive, so much so that I was convinced to move to the UK. I saw National Grid as a successful international company with state-of-the-art power systems that I wouldn’t get the chance to work with anywhere else. I certainly haven’t been disappointed. I’m particularly impressed with how key safety is to the company and how they take care of their employees.
 
I think the atmosphere has been the biggest surprise. And a nice one too. There’s a good working culture: teamwork is crucial, especially when the pressure is on. It’s very professional, but also enjoyable. We work in small teams. Mine consists of six people, but we’re part of a wider team of 12 and a department of about 60. Everyone’s willing to help out, especially when times are busy.

More than anything else, it’s the challenges I enjoy.  Every day is different and every day I face something new. I know what needs to be done, and I know how to do it, but there are constantly new tasks coming in and new situations emerging so I need to balance it all out. That’s incredibly satisfying. But probably the biggest challenge is ensuring that we keep up the high standards that the company prides itself on.

Not only is our job vital for the country, it’s also very rewarding. I’ve been promoted twice in the three years I’ve been here, which I see as a great achievement. As to where my career’s heading, I’ve already changed roles a few times, so I’ve got a breadth of experience and that’s allowed me to progress. I think change is really important in helping you to develop professionally and personally.

I used to work as a consultant and had experience of National Grid from some of the projects I had worked on. I was always really impressed with the knowledge and professionalism of the people I dealt with and the company’s reputation. And, with the size and scope of the business, I knew there would be great opportunities for career progression here.

I have to say, from day one I haven’t been disappointed. My training was thorough and structured and there are so many experienced engineers on-hand to help if I have any queries. One thing that did surprise me was the percentage of female engineers in my department. At the moment I’m one of four in a team of eleven. That makes for a nice change. And the department’s really multicultural. The team itself is great and teamwork is crucial here, so I really value them.

It’s satisfying when together we take ownership and make sure an outage plan is delivered securely and with minimal risk. I take a lot of pride in keeping up our high standards. But, make no mistake, this is a high-pressure environment. We can be up against very tight deadlines and, especially when you’re still new and learning, it gets tense. Having said that, the training ensures that you’re fully prepared to do your job. I think that’s why it felt so good when I finished my training: I knew I could do my job properly, and the satisfaction is immense.

Over the next few years, I think I’ll stay in the Planning Department. I know I’ll also have the option of working in the Control Room, or even going into design or project management. But there’s massive scope for development and promotion where I am.