Graduate Scientist, Water Quality at Thames Water

The following is a Graduate Review for Thames Water.

Thames Water scores 3.4/5 based on 85 reviews.

All reviews are based exclusively on results of feedback from employees from Thames Water. Employees are asked to rate Thames Water on a wide range of work place topics, which is broken down through star ratings on the right hand side.

To find out how your Graduates can leave reviews of your company, please contact our Brand Manager Grant on 01825 725291.

What are the Best and Worst things about your job?

Best

I have been persistent in shaping the role to drive my own professional development. I applied for extra opportunities & through these have been able to not only raise my profile & expand my network, but also gain experience in people/project management skills.
The people I work with on a daily basis are fantastic - Thames has a skill of employing lovely people & the community I have built at work has honestly helped so much. Especially when working in roles I haven't particularly enjoyed, working with people who I now consider friends outside of the office has made a world of difference.

Worst

The scheme is not a Science Grad scheme & there is a lack of flexibility in placement opportunities. This is largely due to the budgeting of the roles, which can be frustrating when there are brilliant roles going in other business areas (& roles with a greater emphasis on science!!).
The placement roles can become Business as Usual - which is repetitive & un-challenging. Grads are better assigned with their own projects, to drive innovation & improvement within the company - unfortunately this does not always happen.
There is no clear direction & often mis-communication between support staff & the graduates. Communication could be improved by regularly gathering & reviewing feedback (in both directions) or by being transparent with potential blockers to change.

What is the annual salary for this role?

Starting salary: £27,000 - £29,000

Current salary: £29,000 - £31,000

Start: 08:30

What advice would you give to someone applying to this role?

The graduate scheme at Thames Water will offer you a range of opportunities & there are a huge variety of roles available, due to the sheer size of the company.
However, the science scheme does not apply any practical science & instead should be advertised as a scientific services scheme. There is some data analysis involved, but no practical lab-work or science application in most of the roles made available. This is something to consider when applying.

Do you have any interview tips?

Research the company values & the major projects they are currently implementing. Build these values into your answers & reflect on how you may already apply these in your daily life.
Understand the challenges currently facing the water industry as a whole & then specifically Thames, as the largest water company in the UK. You may be asked about these challenges & even if not, the knowledge shows you are passionate & keen to learn. Else, I would just be positive, passionate, be inquisitive & open to learning.