Saltire Internship

My first time in a big boy job. I was lucky enough to gain an internship through Saltire Scotland as an integrated risk management intern at Network Rail. Follow me on my journey through the next 10 weeks and see what I have learned!

Applying

If you didn't know already, I do Product Design Engineering at university, so you may be wondering why on earth I would apply for a role in risk management. Well it is pretty simple. I wanted to try something a bit different. All I had done for the past 4 years was work from brief to brief, designing products and showing them off to different people. I felt like trying something new. So I applied!

My application consisted of many different parts, effectively to prove I was worthy of becoming a Saltire Scholar. There was a written application, an in person group meeting, a CV and cover letter to send to Network Rail and finally an interview. It was a really intimidating process but it actually turned out to be a learning process for me. After completing it, I now feel more comfortable in those professional settings where I am talking with employers and specialists. It has taught me not to be intimidated by them but that they are people I can learn from. A very worthwhile experience.

And yeah, I have my own lanyard now!

Welcome Day!

The first day in the big big job. Nervous as I have ever been but actually, I didn't need to be. It was great! Meeting loads of different people all with very professional job titles, things like head of quality assurance and legal operations manager (no offence but what do these actually mean). The day itself consisted of a lot of networking, I don't think I have ever shook as many hands in a 24hr period in my entire life! I personally really enjoyed this, everyone was so passionate about what they do and they all had a goal of helping improve the railway for everyone.

There was also some talks and meetings with exec members, ex saltire scholars and line managers. Each one was more fascinating than the later. I noticed that everyone who did a talk wanted to see a culture shift within the company, post-COVID. They all talked about the mission of getting Network Rail back to the levels it was before the pandemic, which I found really powerful. I want to be a part of this change!

Meetings

Just look at this picture on the left, a big room full of important people, all wearing fancy suits and nice watches. Pretty intimidating for a wee intern right? Well, that's exactly how I was feeling on this day. The quarterly finance meeting in the Grand Central Hotel. I had no idea what I was there for, or what I was to do but regardless I went along.

They kept talking about one thing... Change! and how it can drive success for Network Rail. Everyone spoke with such passion and impetus until one of the senior managers said, "And we are implementing change through new faces. Dean. Raise your hand!". So that's exactly what I did.

I was shocked that I was a key part of this change it made me feel seen and heard, that my opinions actually meant something.

So I guess that's what I have learned from attending these meetings. Say what you believe and make your opinions heard!

Working on the Railway

On my internship journey so far I have mainly worked in a big, fancy office with lots of people wearing nice 3 piece suits, but that is all about to change for me as I got to East Kibride for a site visit to their new station.

To be honest though I wasn't really getting my hands dirty, I was just there for a wee look around. The project itself is massive with a budget of over £150 million to electrify the East Kilbride line.

Talking in huge sums of money is something that I have definitely become more used to as my internship has progressed. When I first started at Network Rail I always got so nervous whenever anyone said something that ended in "illion". However as I became more used to dealing with these figures that nervousness has almost disappeared.

I guess it isn't about fearing the mention of those sums of money, but respecting the lives of the people you hope to improve with it!

Going up the Big Bridge

Just look at that view!

Today I was lucky enough to be asked to go to the top of the Forth Rail Bridge and what an experience it was! It was one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life.

The trip started off by taking an old, rickety hoist up from the very bottom to the very top of the bridge (and when I say "very top", I mean "very top"). When we got up there the view was like nothing I had ever experienced before. It really highlighted the insane attention to detail that must have been up in place when building the bridge.

To be perfectly honest, I have been sitting here trying to think of an insightful takeaway from this trip that would appeal to employers but I am struggling to think of one. The trip was just AWSOME!!!

I guess that can be my takeaway!

The Final Day

Well, as I am writing this piece I am sitting in the office for last last time in a while and honestly, I am feeling quite sad about that. I have had an amazing 10 weeks and developed myself as a person, becoming more confident and motivated about making a difference wherever I work. This is all thanks to the team that I have worked with, they have welcomed me with open and arms and I am grateful to them for doing that.

Leading up to my last week, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to present in front of all the Scotland's Railway executives. While I was nervous about the experience, I knew that if I just showed them what I had accomplished over the 10 weeks, they would be impressed. As a matter of fact, the presentation went really well. I believe the reason for this was the confidence that this internship has given me. I knew exactly what I was talking about and I wasn't afraid to tell the excec my opinions and ideas.

While I have learned so much about enterprise risk and its importance to any business. However, my major takeaway from this experience has been how applicable my Product Design skills and way of thinking are across so many sectors. I mean, my role was in finance. If you don't know finance and designers tend to clash horns over, well, money. However, I used my skills of identifying end users and their needs to ensure that every piece of work I did could be clearly understood by the person who needed to see it. That different skillset and outlook I have has allowed the team to think differently about the way they work.

I just want to end by thanking everyone who has helped me get to this point. I know that this is just the start and I can't wait to see where it takes me!