Oli is currently a Wastewater Collections Manager for the Peterborough area. He joined Anglian Water in October 2007 on the Graduate Programme.
After graduating I wanted to do something worthwhile with my life. I joined Anglian Water because they offered me the opportunity to do something essential and important with my career.
As a Collections Manager, it’s my job to look after the sewers and pumping systems. I’m in charge of a team of people, many of whom have been doing the job for several years.
Having to manage people with bags of experience may sound daunting, but it’s something Anglian Water fully prepares you for. There are several coaching courses you’ll get to go on and, of course, there’s no better training than actually doing it; on my second placement here I was given management responsibilities.
Even though I’ve completed the Graduate Programme, I’m still learning new things every day. I was assigned a mentor when I first joined, who I’m still in close contact with. There’s not much my team don’t know between them, so in terms of technical skills there’s always someone to learn from.
In the next five years I’d like to move over into the Water side of the business. In fact, there are so many areas of the business that I still don’t fully understand – which means there are endless career opportunities within the organisation for me. Especially as Anglian Water actively encourage you to diversify and explore new areas.
Graduates joining the scheme should bear in mind that you’ll have to do a lot of moving around. Because it’s a rotational programme, you’ll be based at different sites throughout the two years. This was great for me as I like to experience new things. If you want a job where you stay in the same office, with the same routine every day, this isn’t it!
This scheme will suit you if you’re a people person, because you’re always interacting with someone be it a customer, a team member or a Local Authority representative. The way you communicate and build relationships with people is crucial.