Communications Intern Review

My internship took place at a very unique time to work for government and my role changed dramatically to meet their needs. This meant I gained a rich understanding of public policy and how this is translated practically. My role exposed me to very senior ministers, from whom I learned a great deal about how the department operated and how it fit into domestic and foreign politics.

I was given great scope to make an impact from day one. On my first day I was tasked with creating briefings for ministers with little initial information. Because the department was working at a very ambiguous time, I was trusted and valued by leading projects that were usually reserved for staff on higher seniority scales than I was. I was also encouraged not to introduce myself as an ‘intern’, but as an integrated member of staff.

I was given sufficient support and guidance during my internship. I was allocated a mentor who I met with once a week for lunch. My mentor served to help me with both my professional and personal learning and development. Having this close relationship meant I was confident in asking seemingly silly questions without fear of judgement. My line manager actively encouraged me to ask questions and helped me develop key relationships across the department.

I was extremely busy on a daily basis. I had several conflicting deadlines tied to multiple projects. This meant I had to be efficient with my time and plan my day effectively. Because I planned my time meticulously, I was able to successfully meet all my deadlines and this meant I did not have to work outside of office hours.

I was given a great amount of responsibility. This pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to learn new skills. All my projects were essential to both the department and wider civil service. I was able to see the impact my work made in documents and this was very satisfying. Additionally my internship resulted in some changes to a few internal practices.

My time on the placement marked the first time I worked in government. This was truly invaluable to understanding its priorities, goals and culture. This understanding and the skills I developed directly assisted my application to the Fast Stream. It gave me an advantage at the assessment centre because I understood how to action their competencies.

My office was a very busy space and this encouraged me to both work and talk to my colleagues. I sat directly behind the head of my team which was intimidating at first, but quickly turned into a delight because they very naturally put me at ease by taking an active interest in my struggles and achievements. Everyone was friendly and generous with their time and this lent a welcoming office atmosphere.

Overall I felt my internship was well organised from a team perspective. I had enough work and opportunities to develop. Everyone in my team expected my arrival and I had appointments in my calendar to meet members of my team individually. I felt there was a lack of engagement centrally and there were missed opportunities to discuss difficulties I faced during my internship that required consultation from the central SDIP team. I felt I could have been better supported by the wider SDIP team.

I was invested in by my team who supported me in gaining experience from other teams I was interested in exploring. My department managed several cross-governmental events that I attended. I was able to network with a wide range of people who helped me in both my personal and professional development. I was really required to be proactive in seeking out these opportunities.

Future employment within the civil service is slightly appealing. There were some preconceptions I had of working within the organisation that I found to be false – this greatly impacted how I envisaged a long term career there and whether I wanted to apply for the Fast Steam. Based on this internship, it was a challenging decision to make regarding realistic employment and mobility prospects.

Regular departmental drinks were organised and as interns we proactively organised dinners and social activities.

As I was based in London, it was very expensive. To mitigate this I bought lunch from home and budgeted how often I socialised with colleagues. I also rode my bike to work on some days because transport in London is not cheap. This allowed me to buy colleagues a few treats now and again.

The nightlife in my area was good.

If you are proactive there are several opportunities outside of work. I organised dinners with other interns in the evenings. This was a great way to keep in contact with people and share the difficulties you may be facing. It was a great support system because we were able to offer advice that would ensure we could overcome issues in a safe environment.