I’ve always had an interest in pursuing a career in the aviation industry, and having spoken to past placement students about how beneficial the Early Careers Scheme is at NATS, it was a no brainer for me to apply.
Having been at NATS as a Project Management placement student for a few months now, I’d highly recommend applying to the scheme to anyone considering it. There’s a great blend of support and responsibility alongside opportunities to push yourself and to get involved with the exciting changes that NATS is implementing.
There’s no typical day as a Project Manager. Naturally there are elements of the role which are routine, but mostly it is interesting and challenging with issues to resolve – if all projects went from start to finish exactly as planned then the role of Project Manager wouldn’t exist!
The dynamic nature of a project requires you to be adaptable as something will always crop up. During my time here so far I’ve learnt that being able to manage change and stakeholders effectively is crucial to ensure the project continues to deliver, which ultimately allows NATS to facilitate its role.
When you join you’re assigned a buddy within your business area who is likely to have been a Placement student themselves, and they act as an informal point of contact for advice and guidance throughout. I also have monthly meetings with mentors in my business area and my line manager. Collectively all of these people, along with the Early Careers Department, help me track my progress and set objectives to ensure I get the most out of my placement year as possible.
I’ve found everyone across NATS to be really accommodating and approachable, regardless of their position in the company. So far I’ve had the opportunity to experience the difference in decision making and planning when considering multiple projects, and attend a Q&A session with the CEO.
My advice for anyone looking to apply to NATS’ undergraduate and graduate schemes would be to remember that your application is your opportunity to sell yourself and show NATS why they should select you for a place on the scheme. Also, more importantly, be yourself! Everyone has something unique to offer, and it could be that which makes the difference in a key piece of work.
