Undergraduate Placement Ranger Review

As a ranger, I have been able to get involved with all sorts of different roles. On a daily basis you are, first and foremost, the first call for customers who have a query or any issues. We also carry out daily site checks and safety checks and the rest of our time is filled with anything and everything. It could be organising a volunteer day, planning the site's social media posts, environmental management work (such as brushcutting, hedge-laying or coppicing) and getting involved with site events.

The training courses that have been made available to me this year have helped me massively and I've really been able to build up my CV. These have included First Aid at Work, Brushcutting and Trimming and 4x4 Off-roading. When I first started working for Severn Trent, I was most nervous about customer interactions and my main concern was saying the wrong thing! It sounds silly but even answering the phone was a massive worry for me. Despite this, being part of a friendly and supportive team has enabled me to grow in confidence, I know what to say and how to deal with difficult customer interactions. Managing people has also been a large part of the job, particularly on days when we have volunteer groups in to work with us. I don't have much experience in leading a group but recently I have really taken to getting involved in this when our usual volunteer coordinator is away. This has given me the chance to orchestrate a day's work for a large number of people, put together tool kits for the task at hand and provide toolbox talks to our volunteers to ensure they are aware of any safety implications.

I really enjoy working for Severn Trent, the placement has been far better than I could have expected. I have never felt so comfortable in a working role so quickly and the team that I have been placed with have shown a real interest in my education and personal development from day one which has definitely made the transfer from education to full-time work much easier! I genuinely feel that this role will largely contribute to a graduate career when I finish my course at university.

With the job role being so varied, it is hard to distinguish a 'structure' to the work itself however, appropriate training and support has been available throughout my placement and I have had the opportunity to get involved with all the tasks available to the team which has kept me included and busy! Being part of a small team has definitely contributed to this and I don't feel as if I am treated as a placement student, but a valued member of the team.

I am able to frequently check in with my line manager with any queries or issues and I know that I am able to access support from the wider Visitor Experience Team whenever it is needed. Everyone is really friendly and keen to help out where possible and I know that I don't need to worry about approaching them with any concerns.

With my external support being my university, it is sometimes difficult to get support from a busy tutor (particularly during a pandemic), however, I have received enough support from them to proceed with my university project that I need to complete whilst undertaking my placement year. Where there have been gaps in external support, I have definitely been able to fill these with support from within the company.

I have learnt so much whilst being on my placement with Severn Trent and knowledge that I have gained through my degree has definitely been applied to some jobs that I have carried out this year. Theory about different habitats, protected species, historical environmental management, and how people interact with the environment has all been beneficial in my role and has definitely allowed me to gain a wider understanding of the industry that I can take back to university.

Starting a job in the middle of a pandemic has definitely hindered this aspect of working for Severn Trent however, they did launch a campaign that involved various online events such as a pub quiz, bingo and an exclusive comedy night which definitely helped me to feel more involved with the wider company and to provide a good mood-booster whilst we were all in lockdown.

Yes

Whilst working in this role, I have seen myself grow in confidence and I feel that I have really benefited from being part of this working environment. There has been so much to get involved with and I have learnt so many new things alongside this that I look forward to taking back with me to university and also into a graduate career. I think a lot of people would feel the same after spending time in this position.

My number one tip would be to ask as many questions as you can think of! When applying, I found support from the current placement student that was from the same university who provided some great information about the application process. On the interview day, there was opportunity during each stage to ask questions about the role, training, what you can get involved with or about the company itself. Additionally, various members of the team were present on the interview day giving the opportunity to get to know the team members and have more informal conversations too!