I joined National Gas in September 2023, so I have been here around 10 months. I completed my first placement in Procurement and I’m now halfway through my second placement in the Quantity Surveying team.
My current placement is in the Quantity Surveying team, the role of a QS is crucial for managing and controlling costs within different projects to ensure that they are completed within their estimated budgets. As a Junior QS, my main tasks include reviewing risks as soon as they come in then discussing with project managers how we will respond to them, completing payment certificates for our various suppliers and helping create forecast sheets for our projects so we can keep on top of the estimated costs on a monthly basis. Alongside this, I will attend various meetings on site to see the progress of our projects and will also meet with suppliers who are carrying out work for us to discuss the finances they have applied for and if there are any factors that could impact the project completion.
A typical day for me varies depending on what is happening with the projects that I work on! When I first started my role in the QS team, I shadowed on the majority of calls so that I could gain a better understanding of the projects I would be working on and also what the quantity surveyor’s role within the project would be. Now I have been in the team for about 3 months, I still attend these calls on a weekly basis but have a better understanding and can contribute more!
A typical day would include reviewing any risk events that have been submitted and updating the spreadsheets so that they are all correct for our weekly call where they are discussed with the wider team and project managers. I also have a weekly call with my team to catch up which I find really helpful as it’s a space to get to know each other better but also help each other out! In addition to this, I visit the sites quite frequently to check the progress of the projects - I will attend these with another QS who will point things out to me as I continue to learn.
The thing I enjoy most about my role is how varied it is- no two days are the same! There’s a great balance of office work and site visits so that instead of just talking about the projects’ progress you get the opportunity to go out and see what’s going on in person. Everyone on my team is very helpful and friendly which makes it much easier to pick things up when you’re still learning, they have made me feel so welcome and will do whatever they can to help me as I progress further - remember- there is no such thing as a silly question!
The biggest piece of advice I would give someone considering a Graduate Programme would be to go for it and immerse yourself as much as possible! There are so many opportunities and training modules you can get involved in which have helped me considerably with my development at National Gas. By completing rotations throughout the scheme, you gain a greater insight into the wider business and meet people within teams that you may not have had the opportunity to work with if you weren’t on rotation. You get to learn more about how each department interacts with each other which is so helpful if you ever find yourself needing help - you can always reach out to people you’ve worked with previously!
Another highlight of being on the Graduate scheme is visiting different places, so far I have had the opportunity to go to various sites, such as FutureGrid - the hydrogen testing facility, which was really interesting and also Leicester Gas Museum as part of one of my graduate projects.
