A summer internship at National Grid led Eric Sniezek ’21 to extend his internship to a part-time job while he finishes college—and a potential future at the company, thanks to its Graduate Development Program.
Sniezek, an environmental studies major from Adams, was an intern this past summer in National Grid’s Corrosion, Inspection, Survey, and Surveillance Department, working in its New York Gas Operation. “My internship gave me the opportunity to work both in the field and in the office, giving me experience and understanding of how the gas industry takes steps to prevent damage and protect the environment,” he said. “I learned how to identify and report hazardous issues that must be resolved to ensure safety. I supported and asked questions based on my environmental background to understand the information and make decisions based on the facts, data, and National Grid procedures.”
He had a hands-on experience, performing field inspections and audits alongside a licensed National Grid contractor; updating “gas cards,” which help the company keep track of its field assets and infrastructure; and working on the company’s Business District Analysis Project, which involved checking and analyzing sections of gas main to make sure they were classified properly. He also evaluated customer complaints and made sure they went through the proper channels.
Before the summer was over, he had signed on to continue the gas card project through December—and signed up for the National Grid Graduate Development Program, which works to prepare college graduates for future full-time roles. It’s designed to help new professionals develop as leaders and explore the different kinds of work done by National Grid while expanding their professional network.
“My long-term goals are to continue to learn through trainings offered from my employer,” said Sniezek. “I want to work for an organization that invests in their employees to retain their staff and help them continue to grow.”
“I have always had an interest in the outdoors, and my education has influenced my desire to protect the environment,” he said. “The many courses that I have taken have taught me that energy efficiency can reduce carbon, methane and other harmful chemicals that pollute our air, water, and landscape.”
Sniezek said he sees plenty of overlap between his degree in environmental studies, his work at National Grid, and his eventual full-time career—the more efficient a company like National Grid can be, the better for the planet.
