Early Diversity Internship Programme Participant Review

I thought the placement was really enjoyable. The first day we attended a welcome event and the last day too, which had numerous guest speakers and gave a good insight into what the Civil Service is and does. From Tuesday until Thursday, we were each assigned a mentor working in a specific department of the Civil Service. I really liked this aspect of the placement, as I was able to form a personal relationship with my mentor, who was lovely and was given a lot of flexibility with my 'work tasks', This was ideal, as we were able to discuss and plan exactly what I wanted to gain from my placement and it gave me the opportunity to talk to other Fast Streamers who were working in other departments which interested me.

My mentor offered to give me a specific task, which I would be responsible for handling and thinking of a way to present the findings. I felt the task was interesting - if I didn't, I did have the opportunity to say no. I thought the task was really interesting and my mentor took on board my suggestions, which made me feel highly valued and, despite the limited time of the placement, it actually made me feel like an asset to the team.

I received a fair amount of guidance. I feel that the level was appropriate. I wasn't babied and I was given responsibility. However, my mentor was always there if I did have any questions, which was great. At the end of each day, I would also meet with my mentor, where we would discuss my day and I could let her know if I felt I needed more guidance or more freedom within my assigned tasks.

I feel like everything you do will assist with you on a personal level and beyond. If I had had an awful experience I would have come away knowing "well, at least I know I never want to do that/work in that sector or organisation". However, in the case of the EDIP placement, I feel like the skills I learned, including attending a networking skills workshop, group tasks, working and observing within a professional setting, etc. will definitely assist me in my studies and beyond!

It was pretty well structured. There was one time when one of the guest speakers was running late, which was a shame. However, I feel like the organisers tackled that obstacle appropriately and well. Things can go wrong, and I'm sypathetic towards that. What matters is how you handle it. I would like to have had more time 'working' and shadowing my mentor. We could have started earlier on the Monday (first day) and finished later on the Friday (last day). With it being such a short placement, it would have been great get that little bit more out of it!

I liked it. The people were nice. The staff were lovely. The location of the placement was magnificent! It would have nice to get to know and have a social event for the people on the placement to get to know each other better. However, perhaps that should have been organised by the students themselves. However, being in London and meeting so many new faces can be quite daunting and may mean that shy participants don't get the opportunity to join in.

There wasn't really much to 'invest in'. But I feel like ensuring that the opportunity was accessible to people from various, diverse backgrounds was an investment in itself. The Civil Service has invested heavily in this diversity program to further their organisational development which reflects as an investment in young people, including myself.

The insight week gave me a good idea of what could be expected if I were to work for the Civil Service. This was done through formal talks/speeches, observing and shadowing mentors and informal discussions with people working in numerous different departments of the Civil Service. I found this really helpful in creating an overall picture of the Civil Service.

The insight helped me understand the company culture by observation and discussion of the Civil Service and their employees. It seems like a positive organisational culture, which focuses heavily on supporting its employees, which helps facilitate rapid personal and professional development. It seems like the a positive company culture.

I thought the insight week was very helpful in helping me decide on my future career path. I initially applied to the EDIP scheme, because I am interested in working in the Civil Service. The experience has affirmed that ambition and I feel that it has also given me the ideal foundation to pursue a career in that sector.

I was reimbursed for my travel, accommodation and food expenses. That was really helpful as it meant that regardless of personal and socio-economic background, anybody was able to participate in this placement. This means that it the placement is accessible, fair and inclusive. This was great as it brought people from diverse backgrounds together.

Yes, there was plenty opportunity for networking. We also had a workshop which was partially dedicated to networking and 'how to network'. We were also able to network with some of the guest speakers and other Civil Service workers in numerous departments. This was really helpful and eye-opening. It was also fun to network with other fellow EDIP participants.

The networking opportunities were very good. However, I feel like the approach to networking came across as an unpleasant interaction. I feel that much more emphasis should have been put on just simply getting to know people, their interests, their personalities and how that can in tern broaden your network, as a pose to dramatising something so natural to human nature into something excruciatingly daunting and foreign.

There was not really much emphasis put on this point. There was a great deal of emphasis on maintaining a good work-life balance, but not much was said about the activities that employees can get involved in outside of work. I'm not even sure if any exist! Some organisations have work-sports teams, which facilitate good working relationship. However, I'm not aware of the Civil Service having any.

Absolutely. It was a really helpful insight week. I really enjoyed the experience. It is a really good idea to get involved with an insight week. Everyone I spoke to was very impressed that I was looking ahead to plan my future career opportunities. I believe the placement will be especially helpful for anyone who is looking to pursue a career in the Civil Service.