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Your Journey as a Graduate Consultant: What to Expect at NSG

Author: Ellen Winstanley, Lead Consultant

The Consultancy Team within NSG works on a wide range of projects, such as radioactive waste management, decommissioning projects, authoring Letters of Compliance submissions, undertaking laboratory-based trials, and much more.

For those who join the team as graduates with little industry experience, it can appear to be an intimidating learning curve. However, the business is structured to genuinely support new starters and to encourage people to progress their careers within NSG.

I joined NSG’s Consultancy Team in 2020 as a Technical Officer (now referred to as a Graduate Consultant), which is the graduate-level role for our team. I’ve been at NSG for over five years now and have progressed to Consultant and then Lead Consultant during that time. In the Consultancy Team, there’s a clearly defined career pathway from Graduate Consultant all the way to Principal Consultant. We have well-defined key competencies for each role, including the skills and capabilities required, as well as the typical level of experience needed.

From my own experience, new starters are assigned a range of different projects to gain an overview of the types of work the team undertakes. Over time, we are given the opportunity to focus on areas we enjoy in order to develop the skills that interest us most as we progress within the business.

NSG has various schemes in place to support new starters. For example, when I joined, a colleague volunteered to be the person I could ask any question—no matter how ‘stupid’ I thought it might be (though of course, no question is truly stupid!). In my experience, no one is ever left to struggle alone, and the entire team is supportive—not just the people sitting near you, but also colleagues in different offices across the UK.

NSG utilises regular one-to-ones, yearly appraisals, and Personal Development Plans to keep track of each employee’s personal goals. These regular check-ins are helpful for maintaining focus on both short- and long-term goals. They often serve as reminders of what is going well, what could be improved, and where additional support may be needed. There is also structured support to identify relevant training courses or conferences.

In addition to technical development, NSG encourages employees to develop personally as well. This includes involvement in sustainability and environmental initiatives (such as peatland restoration and tree planting), charity fundraising efforts, Women in Nuclear, the NSG Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, community outreach, and much more.

We’ve recently had two new starters join as Graduate Consultants, who have shared their first impressions of joining the company:

Joseph Shaw:

“I have only been working for NSG for a short time and already feel part of the team. I have been eased into the role with plenty of support, and every query—no matter how small—has been answered. As a Graduate Consultant, I feel I have been well utilised within the company and felt equal to my peers within the first week. The Consultancy Team are a very positive and welcoming bunch, with plenty of skills and experience in the field that they are all eager to pass on. NSG also has wellbeing ambassadors who are in place to look out for you. Everyone in the team at NSG has welcomed me, and I am excited to work with them all in the future.”

Natalie Harrop:

“Within my time at NSG, I have been more than pleased with how I have been supported, heard, settled, and welcomed. The support I have received as a Graduate Consultant has been above and beyond—I feel that no query I have is ever a hindrance. In this short time, I have already gained knowledge and skills that motivate me and make me want to progress within this role. Progression within NSG feels endless, with so many opportunities for career development. I find this motivating and feel that I am thriving. It makes me confident that my future at NSG will be positive and successful.”

From my own perspective, after working at NSG for the past five years, I have learnt a great deal and grown both professionally and personally. There are several areas I particularly enjoy working in and have started to specialise in—many of which I wasn’t even aware of before joining NSG. I know the path I want to follow in the future and feel confident that my team will continue to support me as I move forward.

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