Graduates

I wanted to work for a company that delivered an important service to our society while making a positive impact on the environment.

I lead a team of experts who regulate and manage activities associated with trade effluent, environmental discharges, and waste for the whole AW region. Our work focuses on how these activities could impact the environment and our ability to protect it. We do this by ensuring compliance with environmental regulations, obtaining permission from our regulators, and collaborating with external stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and Defra.

To be a successful operational leader you will need to be interested in people and the environment and be flexible to working in a world of constantly changing priorities.

Anglian water is genuinely interested in developing graduates who are passionate about what we do. There are so many different and attractive development opportunities here which brings interest and variety to whatever role you decide to do.

Make the most out of your placements as you will get out what you put into them. They will also help you to decide where your interests lie and allow you to build a fantastic network of people doing a variety of roles with a huge range of knowledge and experience.

We want you to do well and we will celebrate your successes with you!

The best thing about the role is looking forward each day to working with a fantastic team who are as passionate about what we do as I am. It is so rewarding when we collaborate to deliver excellent customer service while finding ways to protect and enhance our environment.

I had friends who worked at AW and the business had a strong reputation for being a great place to work. It came well recommended and 8 years later, I’m also now a fan!

I lead a central-control team of managers and technicians and we coordinate the response to unplanned operational events and incidents. We work across both water and water recycling, so the engineering challenges are varied and sometimes complex.

Listening, I believe its important for everyone in the team to be heard, so they can shape team decisions. Inclusion, so we create an environment where everyone can bring the best version of themselves to develop creative solutions. I also believe we should target above-average results and support each other to get there.

 There really are fantastic opportunities for graduates to develop their careers. I have been fortunate to have gained post-graduate qualifications and professional chartership, which has really helped my confidence in developing myself. I have also had some great roles which have helped me build my industry and leadership skills.

No matter your background, there is a place for you here. AW has excellent opportunities for career development, you just need buckets of enthusiasm.

The culture at Anglian Water is  friendly and supportive, particularly from senior leaders, who are approachable and helpful.

The best thing about my role is  the feeling of accomplishment when the team resolves a difficult event. The ongoing development opportunities, where I can reflect and learn new skills. Finally, the valuable role we play in providing an essential service and in protecting the environment.

The graduate programme gave me the opportunity to develop into an operational leader by learning from a wide range of both technical and management experts.

Rotating through the key operational business units and their supporting services on the graduate programme really built my leadership skills and technical knowledge, all while developing my network & stakeholder management skills with teams that I now work with on a day to day basis.

While the scheme was very structured and supportive to develop me, it also gave me the flexibility to reach out to mentors across the business, organise to shadow experts in different fields, and essentially mould my own path through the support of others; while my degree was in an Environmental and Water Science field, and I knew of Anglian Waters great reputation as a top employer on Glassdoor, it was this mix of support and autonomy that really grabbed my attention.

I knew front line operations was where I wanted to step into after the graduate programme and following a long placement in Water Supply, where I was given the trust to pick up projects and cover roles when people were absent, I was lucky enough to get a seconded position as a Support Manager during my second year on the scheme.

4 years on from joining the programme, I now lead a team of 17 technicians who maintain the operation of over 70 water treatment works, storage points, and boosters.

In my job no two days are the same, as from day to day I  transition between reactive needs such as managing operational incidents – to managing a team and the heath, safety and wellbeing in a wide operational area – right up to delivering on more strategic objectives such as our key business targets and supporting the future needs of our customers against potential risks such as climate change and housing growth.

The graduate programme is a great step into Anglian Water, and gives you a real core understanding of the business, while continuously developing your own skills to able to transition into a leadership role at the end of the 2 years. I would definitely recommend it.

I began working at Anglian Water 5 years ago when I moved to Lincoln, after volunteering to help with some student recruitments taking place I decided to go to university. Anglian flexed my hours completely to suit my university schedule for 3 years while still offering career progression and development. There was no question of which company I was going to undertake a graduate scheme with. 

My day to day role varies entirely with wherever my current placement is. This can be presenting, participating in project management, problem solving for placement objectives or getting hands on experience in the field. 

The scheme involves placements around various areas of the business building up a network of contacts and wider business knowledge. There are opportunities to attend utility conferences and frequent graduate forums where senior leader share insight on how to personally and professionally develop as well as showcasing key objectives and programmes around the business. 

Across Anglian Water there is a healthy respect for graduates, and you are trusted to deliver business change as well as deliver key projects. 

Anglian Water have a great people culture, share your interests and demonstrate how you can add to this culture. The programme is about development so show your eagerness to learn and build on existing skills. 

The working culture at Anglian Water is very people focused, both in terms of staff and customers. The make today great programme is a great example of this approach making sure that every member of Anglian Water understands their impact to our customers.

The best things about my job are the willingness of people to spend time sharing knowledge and advice, the mentor programme is only one part of this with many people across all areas of the business providing insight. I am only in my third placement, but I have already benefited from knowledge and contacts in other business areas helping me to provide fresh perspectives and solutions to my current placement area. 

Regular calls and updates with both fellow graduates, my line manager and mentor have helped ensure my development has continued throughout the pandemic. Existing help such as Employee Assistance have also provided further personal and professional support. 

My support network has been amazing. I have regular catchups with my mentor, who provides great advice and guidance to support my development.

The closeness of my graduate cohort helps us learn more about all areas of the business, in addition to the graduate forums, and our line manager is easy to contact and provides support when needed.

Engaging with different placement managers and teams has also expanded my list of contacts, which has been very helpful.

I have really enjoyed that my placements have been a mixture of office-based and operational work, as it has given me more opportunities to learn about all aspects of Water Recycling. So far, I have had placements in Optimisation (WR), WR Networks and Maintenance and IOS (WR).

These teams have all been friendly and welcoming, organising various site tours, shadowing days and ensuring my involvement in numerous projects.

I have been encouraged to absorb as much information as possible during my first year of the Graduate scheme, which is something I have really appreciated.

The variety has been stimulating and I hope that the fast-pace and new challenges continue as I move into my second year of the programme.

Anglian Water appealed to me because it was number one on Glassdoor and I liked the strong environmental focus. I also loved the idea of moving across the region for a variety of different placements, as I wanted to explore new areas and embrace new challenges.

Previous graduates have progressed well in the company, which is a good sign that the graduate scheme is well-regarded.

I joined Anglian Water in October 2014 via the Graduate Programme; a two-year scheme designed to enable graduates to gain first-hand operational experience in all the core areas of the business. The programme provided me with such a broad range of experiences and meant I got to sample what it would be like to work in a variety of departments before choosing which direction to start my career in.

For me, it was Water Recycling that really grabbed my attention and shortly after completing the programme I stepped into the role of an Assistant Treatment Manager.

I spent 18 months as an Assistant Manager, developing my leadership skills and improving my process knowledge before taking the leap to becoming a Treatment Manager.

I’m now responsible for a team of 16 people and the operation of around 100 water recycling centres, the combination of which brings daily challenges in what is a fast-paced and exciting job.

For me, Anglian Water stands out because it prides itself on excellent customer service and during graduate placements you are given the opportunity to make a real impact to the people and the environment we serve.

 I would highly recommend the Graduate Programme as a great place to start in the organisation and one which provides a sure footing for the years to come!

No two days are the same at Anglian Water while on the Graduate Programme, I could be having meetings and presenting work one day, and another day I could be discussing opportunities with stakeholders. There is a lot of diversity to the work you can do. 

The Graduate Programme is run over two years, where Graduates experience 3 to 6-month placements across the business. Supported along the way by an experienced Mentor and receiving constant training throughout. 

In my opinion the culture at Anglian Water is very collaborative and supportive. We provide a very important service to the community, but this can only be achieved through working together and always doing the right thing. 

Throughout the Coronavirus Pandemic I have been working from home. However, I have always felt well connected with my team through daily Zoom calls and business wide virtual events. Safety is at the forefront with Anglian Water and their policies throughout the Pandemic have always been focused around the wellbeing of staff.