The inspirational grads helping to keep you warm this winter

‘I wanted to work somewhere which wasn’t an easy ride’

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These determined grads are fresh out of final year and are already working at one of Europe’s leading energy providers. 

E.ON gets thousands of applications each year from daring finalists looking to join the world of work.

But the global energy provider only have a limited number of grad roles to serve its five million customers in the UK.

Julia Cole has travelled extensively with E.ON

From the start the tenacious grads are thrown straight into the business.

Julia Cole, an engineering grad from Nottingham, has already completed projects for E.ON in San Francisco, Germany, France and Sweden.

She said: “My projects are essential to the company, particularly at the sites in San Francisco”

“The work that I do ensures that the 10 sites that we have function properly.

“If something goes wrong then I have to make sure that it’s fixed.”

Work alongside the brightest minds in the country. Apply for E.ON’s graduate scheme.

Dawn Ashwood studied Business Management at John Moores

Like most graduates, John Moores grad Dawn didn’t immediately think about the energy industry as a career.

“I sent all the typical grad scheme applications out to the likes of the Co-op.”

But Dawn wanted to throw herself into the deep end of such a high-profile industry.

She said: “I wanted to work somewhere which isn’t an easy ride.”

“The energy industry is fighting hard to change public perceptions.

“Traditionally, the public thinks energy companies are just out to make a lot of money and are bad for the environment.

“At E.ON we are fighting hard to change that perspective.”

Milo Mannion, an enterprising Sales and Marketing grad from Lancaster added: “In marketing we are trying to make things better for the customer and to make people’s lives easier.

“We do a lot of customer sessions where we sit with real customers to find out things we could do to make people’s lives better.”

Be part of a company who provides energy and gas for over 33 million people worldwide. 

Milo Mannion is leading E.ON’s digital efforts

Most grads might be daunted by working in a company with over 10,500 employees in the UK.

Not George Gissing, a Chichester grad who just got back from his international placement in Berlin, he said: “I’ve got friends working at start-ups in much smaller teams and there are advantages and disadvantages of both.

“Being part of something so big is pretty special as I can say that I work for a company that deals with around five million customers.”

At a company which stretches across the world it would be easy for a young grad like George to get lost among all the other employees.

Milo said: “There hasn’t been an element of micromanaging, it’s more ‘how is it going? Give us a shout if you need anything.'”

E.ON funds further professional qualifications. Apply for E.ON’s graduate scheme.

George Gissing played football for Chichester

Most of E.ON’s grads get to spend six months abroad as part of their scheme.

George has just flown back from his international placement in Berlin.

He said: “My second placement was in Berlin.

“For the summer it was incredible, Berlin is the best night out I’ve ever had.

“To get paid for working over there was something else. I’d have done it for free.

Be part of a workforce that is 10,500 people strong in the UK and 58,000 worldwide.

Greg Jones went to Dusseldorf for 6 months

Greg Jones a dedicated Trent grad who has now finished the scheme is loving meeting new people at E.ON in his new role.

He said: “You begin to understand how different cultures have different attitudes towards work.

“My manager was Swedish, in our office was the Director of America, so I got to see the differences between our work culture and the working culture in America.”

E.ON’s global outlook is matched by its ambitions to change the energy sector.

Julia from Nottingham said: “The energy industry is going to totally change over the next five years and we need a lot of good people to come in and make that change.”