Early Diversity Internship Scheme (EDIP) Review

I really enjoyed the insight because I did not know much about the Civil Service prior to the insight taking place, and therefore I had not really considered a career with the Civil Service. However, I really enjoyed the EDIP because not only was I based in the Ministry of Justice, which I was pleased about because I am pursuing a legal career, rather than just shadowing a Fast Streamer, I was given the opportunity to work on my own project alongside the Fast Streamers, which was a very valuable experience.

I definitely felt valued because rather than just shadowing my Fast Stream mentor, I was given my own project to work on based on the type of work Fast Streamers would have to undertake on a regular basis. Not only did I feel valued as a result of this, but it was great for me to experience the type of work they tend to do, rather than just observing it.

I received a lot of support, both from my Fast Stream mentor and from the organisers. During my work shadowing placement I received a lot of guidance from my mentor about the project I was working on, the kind of thing they were looking for, and how to structure it. I also received a lot of support from the organisers of EDIP, in the form of guidance for the Civil Service Fast Stream application process, including the application form, interview and situational judgment test.

I do not feel the skills I developed and information I received have necessarily helped me in my degree studies, but the information I received has definitely given me a greater insight into the path I want to take after my degree. Having had no idea what a job within the Civil Service entailed, I am now considering working there at some point in my life very seriously.

Generally the insight was well structured. We had a lot of activities during the week, and the timetable was structured in order to allow us not to be overwhelmed by activities while still allowing us to experience as much as possible. However, I would have preferred it if the work shadowing took place on two full consecutive days, rather than one full day, the morning of the next day and the afternoon of the day after that, as this felt a little disjointed to me.

There was a great atmosphere during the insight, because we had so much to learn and so much to experience. Most people I met did not know a lot about the Civil Service and the jobs available there, therefore we were all eager to learn as much as possible, as well as to meet new people! During the Closing Reception there was a really good atmosphere as we had all learnt a lot and met a lot of really interesting people.

We had presentations on the importance of mindfulness and the importance of creating a personal brand, which were both very useful. We also had a dedicated networking and skills workshop which was one of the best parts of the week. We learnt about the best ways to network with others in order to create a situation with mutual benefits, and we were also given a practice session on the tests we would be asked within the application for the Civil Service Fast Stream, which was especially useful.

I think this differs depending on the mentors people had and the departments they were based in, but I personally was lucky enough to get a really good grasp of what it would be like having a full time role with in the Civil Service. My mentor was based in the Analytical department of the Ministry of Justice, but he introduced me to employees within different departments, such as Social Researchers and Lawyers, which was particularly useful to me as this is the kind of career I would like to pursue.

The insight definitely helped me to understand how inclusive the company is, and how they are working to improve their diversity, which is a large part of their culture. Having the opportunity to meet their Race Champion and Diversity Champion gave me a great insight into the work they are doing to increase diversity within the Civil Service and create an inclusive culture.

It wasn't particularly useful in helping me to decide the kind of career I would like to pursue, as I am already decided on this. However, it definitely made me more aware of the variety of options available to me within a legal career. For example, I did not know that you could undertake a training contract or a pupillage within the Civil Service.

I am fortunate enough to live in London, therefore I did not need accommodation, but I am aware of people that needed to stay in a hotel in London, and this was paid for. I had to commute to Central London each day, which was quite expensive, but the Civil Service are reimbursing this. Furthermore, lunch was provided on the first and last day, but during the 3 days in the middle we were reimbursed up to £8.25 for lunch, which was more than enough and very generous.

There were many opportunities for this. We had guest speakers from various departments within the Civil Service come a deliver talks to us, and we were then able to ask them any questions we had about the careers they had and the paths that led them to where they are. Within the Ministry of Justice, I had the opportunity to meet Fast Streamers in different departments, such as Analytical, Social Research and Private Office, the latter of which was particularly interesting. My mentor also arranged for me to meet members of the Government Legal Service as I am interested in pursuing a legal career, and this was particularly insightful.

We had an Opening Reception and a Closing Reception, which were great opportunities to get to know our peers that would also be taking part in the programme. The Closing Reception was particularly useful as we were able to meet the mentors are peers had been working with during the week, and get in insight into working within different departments Civil Service.

I was not given a lot of insight into the types of activities employees have the opportunity to engage with outside of work. My experience was focused on the type of work done on a regular basis within the Ministry of Justice, and how this work affects the wider public. However, it would have been nice to know a bit more about the social opportunities available to employees.

I would definitely recommend this insight, simply because I don't think most of the people I know are considering a career within the Civil Service, and that is simply because they have no idea what it would entail. I didn't either before the insight, and I definitely feel I have learnt a lot over the week, and feel others should have the experience as well, in order for them to fully understand the options available to them within the public sector.