Graduates

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.  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.

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.

Every 3-4 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 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, and emails!

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 3-4 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.

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. 

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 was the opportunity for personal development throughout the scheme, such as coaching and training to aid on the journey to operational leadership.

I enjoy 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.

Each day varies, depending on what’s occurring operationally, and what placement I’m on. I tend to spend the first few weeks of a new placement out with the team’s technicians seeing the work they’re doing out in the region.  After this I’ll work alongside the manager and support manager for the team. This involves supporting them with their work, understanding their role, interacting with the team and running with projects and tasks.

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.

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.

Growing up I had friends whose parents worked for Anglian Water. They exhibited what job satisfaction looked like and this was substantiated by their children following in their footsteps and pursuing careers with Anglian Water.

Initially, it was the good company reputation that made me want to apply for a role, but as I began to research the company further, I saw that the company values aligned with my own.

I had spent 11 years working for the emergency services but progression routes were lacking. Following the lockdown I was ready for a career change. I wanted to develop in a fast paced, operational environment where I could learn new skills and also demonstrate proficiencies that I had previously developed. I saw potential in the Anglian Water graduate scheme because I have always been hands-on, willing to learn and keen to help others.

Prior to joining Anglian Water, I studied BSc in Mathematics at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln, followed by a PGCE in Secondary Maths Education.

Whilst at university I devoted much of my spare time to being a Retained Firefighter at my local fire station. Upon the completion of my Teacher Training, I was offered an opportunity to follow Firefighting wholetime.

Since joining Anglian Water, the Graduate Scheme has provided ample opportunity to experience various roles within the company. To date, I have worked alongside and learned from multiple leaders and skilled technicians within the business areas of Water Supply, Networks and Optimisation. In addition, I have joined Anglian Water Force, volunteering to work in the Incident Room during times of emergency and have worked to develop fund raising activities for AW’s chosen Charity WaterAid.

As a Graduate Management Trainee my role is ever evolving, through a dynamic and accelerated program to future leadership. The role is varied and often depends upon the placement that I am contributing to. Day-to-day activities may including presenting, people management, leading projects, or getting hands on with technicians in the field.

I am one year into my journey with Anglian Water on the Graduate Scheme and I can honestly say that it has been the best career decision. Everyone involved with the scheme is devoted to ensuring that you can become the best version of yourself. The scheme is highly respected across the business and welcomes people from all backgrounds.

Anglian Water encourages the development of great professional relationships. Tasks that can initially seem challenging are often made manageable through a supportive network of peers. There is a culture of empowerment and opportunity that allows personal development with true meaning and purpose.

The benefits that Anglian Water offer are excellent. Employees are entitled to private healthcare, dental plans, cycle to work, Vitality health insurance, employee assistance program, a number of saving schemes as well as a generous pension scheme and competitive salary. The benefits available are testament to the value that AW has for its people. Personally I have used the Private Healthcare scheme to rehabilitate a back injury. The company, my line management and peers have been so supportive during the period of recovery.

Anglian Water offer fantastic development and investment to their employees. As a Graduate, we receive 1-2-1 professional coaching in addition to regular catch-ups with our peers; program manager; placement managers and mentors. We hold a Graduate Forum every quarter where we learn from business leaders. We develop further skills through a series of online and in-person training events and we support the wider Water industry through a young professional’s coalition with Global Omnium and Vitens.

I would recommend Anglian Water as an employer. Indeed, I often find myself recommending Anglian Water to my friends and family who express an interest in a career change. To whoever may be reading this, I recommend AW to you too!

I’ve worked at Anglian Water for a year now as a Graduate Leadership Trainee. I applied for the role because I’ve always had a passion for the environment and sustainability. I was able to focus on this at university and after graduation I knew I wanted to work for a company with sustainability at its core.

So far on the programme I’ve spent 10 months with different operational teams. This has given me a frontline understanding of how the business responds to events such as burst mains and pollutions. I’ve also had the chance to work in the Carbon Neutrality team which has allowed me to develop a completely different set of skills.

That’s what I love about this scheme. You’re given many different ‘hats’ to try on, and from that you can work out where you want to go with a career at Anglian Water. There’s not just one path to follow.

Additionally, there’s so much support available to you. It really is a development programme rather than an entry level job. We have had coaching alongside placements to develop our strengths, as well as a mentor who is someone with lots of experience in the industry. Plus, you are given the opportunity to take a wide range of training courses, this can be anything from ‘Communication for Managers’ to ‘Confined Spaces training’.

I highly recommend the graduate programme. Not only is it a great development scheme, but it is also at a company with a brilliant culture. Everyone I’ve worked with has been so supportive and welcoming.

Autonomy and responsibility have always been high on my list of priorities, wanting to influence change, support people, and generally make ‘waves’. In the year I have been on Anglian Water’s graduate programme, I have been empowered to achieve these.

Since I have been on the programme, I have spent time in Water Metering (IMDS), Water Networks (WN), Water Recycling Networks (WRN) and most recently Treatment. My various placement managers organised work shadowing, involvement in projects, and more recently assisting with leadership tasks.

This exposure has broadened my understanding of the challenges our teams face, and will put me in good stead to approach leadership opportunities.

I wanted to join Anglian Water due to aligned values such as encouraging curiosity and building trust, as well as wanting to positively impact our environment. I feel I have been able to live these.

Moreover, the graduate programme is highly regarded within the business, which I felt could provide me with a greater platform to achieve my goals.

What makes Anglian Water stand out is the support the People Development team help build. From a monthly coach, who helped me work through challenges, and guide to build on my strengths, to the mentors and line managers, who assist with their own experiences within the business, and a close graduate cohort, who all support each other and create a safe space to develop.

Having this support has created an environment where I make sure to challenge, to question, to embrace every experience and throw myself in headfirst.

Some of the best experiences I have had have been heading into the unknown, and it’s great I’ve felt empowered to do that.

Since joining Anglian Water as a graduate in 2021, not one day has been the same. When looking at potential graduate jobs this was a key factor in my decision. I wanted to ensure that my future job would have variance and an ability to spend time both in an office and out on site. The operational graduate scheme at Anglian water has fulfilled this and more by offering an incredibly high level of autonomy and flexibility.

Prior to joining the scheme, I had been at Northumbria University for 4 years studying for a BSc in Psychology followed by an MSc in Business with Management. I was slightly apprehensive to apply for a job at a water company considering I had little experience in the industry and my educational background didn’t seem to perfectly align.

However, Anglian Water have encouraged diversity of thinking since day one whilst also providing a great environment for me to learn the systems and processes on site.

I am moving towards the half-way point of the 2-year scheme and since starting I have completed placements in Bioresources, Water Recycling Treatment, Leakage and Water Quality with a future placement in the SMART programme lined up.

The placement structure of the graduate program allows us to develop a good knowledge of many different aspects of the business, creating a holistic view and allowing us to find which areas most interest us. It also results in a large network of people which we can go to for advice and explore potential future opportunities with.

My favourite aspect of the scheme is the strong graduate community which we have formed. When starting a new career, it is extremely reassuring to be supported by people who are going through, or have been through, a similar journey to yourself.

There is not one problem or challenge I have faced alone, and we really are in it together. I would highly recommend the scheme to anyone with a curious mind, a desire to lead people and who wants to learn something new every day.