Alex Kay

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I usually take the tube into Victoria in the morning and walk to the office from there – it's only around two minutes away. It's a nice area of London, and I'm used to the commute now – and getting particularly good at reading my book in confined spaces!

The main benefit of the Energy Analyst programme, for me, is the opportunity to work in different areas across the Energy Branch. It means I gain a better understanding of all the different types of work that various teams do – which will be helpful when I'm deciding where to work in the end.

The energy industry is very complicated. So, to start working in it with no real prior knowledge of it was certainly challenging. You find yourself working on things you don't fully understand – at least to start with – so you can't be afraid to ask questions.

My first placement was in the Bilateral Contracts team, where I split my time equally between the Analytics and Renewables teams. The Analytics team involved some of what you might reasonably expect: I was collecting information on the status of various projects to produce monthly reports. It was a great way to find out what everyone was working on.

In the Analytics team, I also had to gather information by doing research and talking to people to put together a presentation on what the role of the team was within the branch and the company as a whole.

Once I'd put together the presentation, I helped to present it at one of the company's 'Lunchtime Learning Sessions'. These are fairly informal presentations given some lunchtimes on topics that other people around the branch might be interested in.

I always go for a wander in my lunch break after eating in the canteen with other graduates and colleagues, and when it's sunny, I sometimes take my lunch to the park, which is only a short walk away.

On some days, I might be out of the office for all or part of the day at meetings at different offices – or at a graduate training event.

Another advantage of the scheme is that you regularly meet up with the graduates from other branches, and find out what goes on in the company outside of the Energy Branch. Periodically, graduates put on presentations on their area of the business, and host all the other graduates, and there are monthly training events – so you do keep in touch.

The second half of my first placement, in the Renewables team was particularly interesting. I was involved in all the activities that lead up to signing a contract. Specifically, I helped with renewing power purchase agreements, and made some recommendations on the pricing of our contracts.

Currently, I'm in the Environment and Market Regulation team, working with the Energy Policy team. I have to read key documents like the Renewables Obligation Consultation Paper, which was released with the Government's Energy White Paper in May 2007. I then assess what some of the proposed reforms might mean. It is interesting work, and important to the future of the company.

If I'm flagging in the afternoon, my solution is to have a bar of chocolate with my usual cup of tea.

I'm also working with the Asset Ownership team at the moment. I've been liaising with them on a regular basis to discuss trials of new fuels, and essentially make sure that anything we try complies with all the regulations it needs to.

The scheme is, I think, perfect for people who enjoy being in new situations, and want to continually find out more. There's so much about the company to explore that you simply couldn't get from a website.