I chose Anglian Water because I felt my values really aligned with the company values. Not only does Anglian Water have a great reputation on how well employees are treated, but it also does extensive work to increase environmental and social prosperity. I also wanted to be a part something bigger than me and Anglian Water provides an essential service through water supply (drinking water) and water recycling (sewage treatment) to millions of people. The 2-year rotational graduate scheme also appealed to me as a structured route towards leadership, by gaining exposure to different parts of the business and the numerous opportunities to develop, for example, through external coaching and training courses.
It has been a genuine pleasure to work with every individual across the business, no matter what their role from front line operations to the office – which is quite impressive for such a large organisation. I also really enjoy the dynamic nature of operations, the endless learning opportunities, and the ability to make a difference. Every day is different so you are never bored!
Every 3 to 4 months we rotate placements on the graduate scheme. Our job is to embed ourselves within each team, build our technical knowledge and understand the operational challenges faced by our people, business and the environment – all of which contribute to building ourselves as a future leader.
Working here is great. The working hours are flexible, depending on the placement, and as graduates we manage our own time; so after a busy week on site you can organise time in the office to catch up on e-learning, emails etc.
For me the best thing has been the process of self-growth. When I look back at my time on the graduate scheme so far, I can see how much I have grown in confidence already and I’m not even halfway through it! Doing a variety of things have pushed me out of my comfort zone from; quickly building rapport and relationships with new teams every 3 to 4 months, presenting and chairing team meetings, to public speaking in schools/in the community to encourage young people to work in STEM. Developing myself as an individual whether that’s through resilience, communication or technical skills, means I can give back to the people around me even more.
Doing an apprenticeship for Anglian Water stood out to me as an exciting opportunity to do something a bit different to any of the career ideas I’d considered previously. The idea of working in operations, and getting to move around and do placements in different operational areas of Anglian Water, struck me as a really valuable opportunity to gain wide-ranging knowledge and identify where my interests might lie. Another attracting factor were the opportunities for personal development throughout the scheme such as coaching and training to aid on the journey to operational leadership.
The best thing about working her is definitely the huge variety of things I get to experience! I’ve loved spending time out with the work technicians understanding the work they do, and learning how sites such as our Water Recycling Centres function. Then on the other side of this, attending meetings focusing more on the management of these sites and teams has helped me gain a really holistic view of operations. I feel like I’ve been able to pick up so much knowledge in a short space of time from all the experiences I’ve had, and the connections I’ve made.
Anglian Water are always flexible with working hours if it’s needed, and everyone’s really understanding of any personal circumstances. No one expects you to take your work home with you either, and work out of hours.
I can feel my confidence increase as I get further into the scheme. As I’ve started taking on more responsibilities, and built up my operational knowledge it’s given me increased confidence to put my opinion across, take more of an active role in meetings and present to larger groups of people. Receiving strengths coaching, attending training focused on areas such as giving presentations and the hugely supportive workforce at Anglian Water has undeniably also helped me to achieve this.
I chose to pursue the data science degree apprenticeship scheme with Anglian Water because I wanted to gain industry experience and contribute value to the company. While initially studying engineering at the University of Nottingham, I discovered my passion for statistics and programming. This led me to consider a career in data science, and Anglian Water stood out as an excellent opportunity to develop my skills in this field. Anglian Water offers a supportive environment for data science development, with experienced data scientists providing guidance and the chance to collaborate on impactful projects that directly benefit consumers. The dynamic nature of the water industry also intrigued me, as it presents continuous challenges and opportunities for innovation. Through the university programme associated with the apprenticeship, I can acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to become an effective data scientist with applications specifically relevant to the water industry.
I thoroughly enjoy the diversity of projects I encounter in my role, which keeps my job exciting and allows me to continuously enhance my skills. Engaging in a wide range of projects, such as those related to customer service, water management, finance, and energy, offers me valuable opportunities for growth. The constant exposure to different areas keeps me motivated and continually expands my capabilities, which I find highly beneficial.
Achieving a balance between a full-time job and pursuing a degree was expected to be challenging. However, Anglian Water has proven to be highly accommodating and supportive in this regard. The company offers great flexibility and effective management, ensuring that any challenges that may arise are met with outstanding support from the organisation. This guidance from the business enables a great work life balance which is beneficial for mental and physical health.
My proudest moment within my Anglian water so far has been the involvement within the finance team and aiding them to submit the annual performance report. The data science involvement consisted of creating a variance tool to see the year-on-year difference between attributes within domains. This project was highly beneficial for my career development and built upon my existing capabilities.
Anglian Water stands out as an exceptional company, leading the way in the water industry. My impressions of the company were highly positive, and I was truly excited by the vision and goals the company had in place for the future. An opportunity to play a significant role in the journey towards accomplishing these goals filled me with great enthusiasm. Anglian Water is known for its strong reputation and emphasis on continuous learning and professional growth presenting an exciting future for me. The opportunity to collaborate with talented individuals, driven by their similar dedication to implementing positive changes, further solidified my decision. Furthermore, Anglian Water had a large cohort of apprentices in different fields and the chance to connect with other individuals was very appealing. I can happily say I made the right choice.
The best part about my job is the opportunity to learn every day and collaborate with other data scientists. I get the opportunity to see the diverse range of projects that my colleagues are working on allowing to expand my knowledge in the field.
Every day as a Data Scientist brings its own unique challenges and opportunities. Generally, the nature of the work consists of numerous different tasks but the ones I find myself doing the most are: data cleaning and exploration, implementing programming solutions to solve a stakeholder problem or planning out how to solve a problem.
Working a full-time job while pursuing a Data Science Degree has undeniably presented its fair share of challenges. However, I have successfully managed to strike a harmonious balance between the two aspects of my life and the rewards have been great. Making use of sprint planning has allowed me to complete my work during the designated university days whilst allowing me to partake in hobbies I enjoy outside of the job.
My proudest moment thus far was when I successfully completed my first Data Science project. It was an incredibly fulfilling experience, as I was able to apply the skills I had developed, both through my work and university, to deliver a product that met the client’s needs. Throughout the project, I was with faced numerous challenges and had to apply my technical expertise, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to overcome them. Seeing the positive impact of my work and witnessing the client’s satisfaction with the final product was truly rewarding.
After successfully completing the apprenticeship, my goal is to continue my journey within the business to further develop upon my skills. I am excited about the prospect of building upon the foundation I have developed during the apprenticeship and applying my knowledge to more advanced projects and challenges. I would love to continue to collaborate with individuals within the company to expand my network.
