Claire Dennis

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How on earth did an English graduate end up in Internal Audit? Well, I actually started off in the legal team, and have been working in Internal Audit for the last thirteen months or so. I was always quite intrigued about the various areas of the business, and Internal Audit gave me a great opportunity to move around and experience lots of different projects. I felt there was so much to learn.

There isn't really a typical day as such. I usually get in early to check my emails or have a meeting with my colleagues to discuss progress on a project. After that, I might find myself writing up notes, or going off to meet various people in whatever aspect of the business we're auditing.

Although I was very new to this kind of thing when I started, I have never felt daunted by a project – and I think that's because everyone here is so supportive. We're all mentored here – whether you're a graduate or not – and it's a very, very friendly department to work in. There are all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds, and we do all get on. Often you'll find me catching up over a cup of tea or coffee with one of my colleagues – and occasionally something stronger after work.

Internal Audit is really all about communication. That's what I love about it. There are lots of briefings and lots of negotiation. There's also lots of travel – I've even been to Paris to meet some members of our parent company. It gives you a really good insight into the business, and a fantastic introduction to EDF Energy.

One of the most interesting projects I've been involved on was actually a fraud investigation. In many ways I was quite lucky – as these are fairly rare. It's actually quite different from anything else. There's a lot of fact finding to be done, and it doesn't finish when you've finally typed up that report – you also have to get involved in the disciplinary process.

It can be quite stressful at times when you're working on something like fraud. Especially if it's high profile. But you come out of it feeling you've achieved something really quite special.

I'm quite a morning person, so I rely on my lunch to give me the energy for the rest of the day. Thankfully, there's a canteen onsite that does some pretty decent food.

You get a lot of personalities here, and you have to be able to adapt your approach depending on who you're talking to. We're not here to ruffle people's feathers at all – Internal Audit is all about working together with people to help improve the business. So it is essential to get people onside. Equally, you have to have the self-confidence to make your view heard – even if you're dealing with people far more senior than you.

Here, I'm off to meet someone in a different area. One of the great advantages of this part of the business is that you get to talk to and discuss things with people all over EDF Energy. And you get to really explore what they do.

Roughly one day every fortnight, I'll study for my Diploma. It can be difficult to combine the study with my normal day-to-day work, but really, if you're committed to gaining a professional qualification, it's not all that difficult. Virtually everyone in the Internal Audit team has gone through the same thing, too, so there's always someone who can point you in the right direction.

I'm currently in the middle of a review of EDF Trading, which is a sister company of ours, owned by EDF Group. It's completely different to what I've been doing previously. Before this, I knew very little about energy trading so there was lots to learn.

EDF Trading is actually a relatively new company – they trade in energy and fuels and other related commodities. It's a company that's grown incredibly quickly and they are therefore keen to get us involved to give them a sense of where they need to focus next. A kind of reality check.

Obviously, auditing involves a great deal of analysis – but you don't necessarily have to be an analyst to join. Really, it's about having the right frame of mind. So, although I'd done an arts degree, I found it relatively easy to adapt – particularly with all the help and support I received.

Before I started my audit in EDF Trading, I'd imagined a room with millions of screens full of incomprehensible numbers, and people shouting into telephones. To a certain extent, I was right. There are a crazy number of deals that go on here, involving millions and millions of pounds. But it's actually far more controlled than I had expected. It's actually quite pleasant!

I really hadn't realised just how big an impact we have on people's lives until I got into Internal Audit. Energy really does affect everyone. We run the network in the South East. We supply people's energy. We're going to be involved in big things like the Olympics. It's just incredible.