Pros
Grid in general is a very good company to work in. 1. I have access to most people in the company and can essentially reach out to them for knowledge. 2. There's a good in house training programme that sets one up with industry level knowledge on the electricity network, energy sector and safety standards 3. It does not stick to traditional engineering requirements. While it can be assumed that electrical engineering should be a primary baseline (which it is), all engineering disciplines are welcome as it's first principles that really matter i.e.: problem solving, analytical mindset, technical capability. All in all, one has the opportunity to learn more about power systems analysis while in the job. 4. UK salaries are generally lower compared to Europe and USA, but interestingly, with a masters, I'd say it is one of the better paying grad schemes. 5. Grid sponsors international talent. Might get more complex with changing UK politics but this has been the norm
Cons
1. There are a lot of data management issues in that resources are sometimes not easy to locate. Limited licences on software applications. Use of acronyms creates a barrier to learn that sometimes takes a while. 2. Slower salary progression 3. I think its also quite slow paced. While the existence of manuals and guides ensure conformity, it also essentially slows down the rate of development. And I think this limits engineering capability and talent. This could potentially be an issue of working in a monopoly. There are very many incremental steps to achieve simple deliverables, and this is what takes up your hours. But this is a symptom of larger organisations by design