Q&A with Holly Deakin - Industrial Placement student

working for us

Tell us a bit about how you got to where you are now 

Before embarking on the Industrial Placement scheme at Cadent, I had just finished my second year at Aston University studying Economics and Management. I have always enjoyed my degree subject as it has allowed me to gain a solid understanding of how businesses generally operate. However, I felt it was incredibly important for me to pause my studies and gain some good work-experience in a diverse and interesting industry. I recognised this would allow me to meet a range of different people and apply the technical business knowledge I had gained at uni in the real world.

What does your day-to-day role involve? 

I am currently based in Cadent’s Customer Centre, with my primary role being to aid the implementation of a new working model - developing a ‘multi-skilled’ call centre and allowing advisors to work flexibly over different departments to meet demand throughout the day. From this, I have been given the responsibility of leading my own project to provide an in-depth analysis of the workload volumes received by teams on a daily/weekly/annual basis. 
 
Alongside this, I have been working closely with our Customer Insights team to recognise how external customer feedback can be utilised further to support the development of our call handlers.

What do you enjoy most about what you do? 

From starting my placement in July 2019, I have enjoyed all aspects of my time at Cadent. I have enjoyed having the scope to lead my own development and get involved in a range of different areas around the business. Being given the responsibility to lead my own project, which will inevitably add value to Cadent as a business, has been a highlight.  

What advice would you give to someone who’s unsure what they want to do with their career?

I would 100% recommend getting as much work experience as possible in any industry! The gas industry was a million miles away from my degree subject, yet I have really enjoyed learning something new and I was surprised at how many different areas there are that fit well with my interests.

Careers with Cadent

We have lots of exciting careers opportunities at Cadent, which you can find out about by clicking the link below.

Cadent

Cadent is the UK’s largest gas distribution network with a 200-year legacy.  We are in a unique position to build on strong foundations whilst encouraging the curiosity to think differently and the courage to embrace change.  Day to day we continue to operate, maintain and innovate the UK’s largest gas network, transporting gas safely and protecting people in an emergency.   Our skilled engineers and specialists remain committed to the communities we serve, working day and night to ensure gas reaches 11 million homes from Cumbria to North London and the Welsh Borders to East Anglia, to keep your energy flowing. 

Future of Gas: Here at Cadent we support the Government’s plans to reach Net Zero by 2050. That means we’re backing the introduction of hydrogen as a low carbon alternative to natural gas for the future. We know people love the controllability of gas and, with our network already in place, it makes sense to switch to the lower carbon alternative offered by hydrogen, which we believe can keep homes and businesses warm for generations to come.

Cadent manages the national gas emergency service free phone line on behalf of the gas industry - 0800 111 999*

Cadent Gas Ltd is owned by a consortium of global investors.

*All calls are recorded and may be monitored.