Analytical Support Officer Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement. I was given a lot of responsibility right from the start and contributed to important, high profile projects. I was able to undertake a variety of training courses to complement the skills I learned on the job. I gained a valuable insight to both the civil service and how a mathematics degree can be used in a future career.

All my colleagues were very welcoming and there was a friendly atmosphere in the office. I felt valued by other members of my team and my line manager trusted me to complete important work. I was always able to ask colleagues for help when struggling and they would be glad to assist.

My line manager allowed me to choose the training and experiences I felt I needed in order to succeed. He was friendly and understood what it was like to be a placement student as he has children of a similar age. He was always keen to support me and the requirements of my university during my placement.

My work demands varied quite a bit. Some days I could be extremely busy and work very long hours and on others I would have few demands and could catch up on old tasks at a leisurely pace. I never found myself without anything to do but would have been able to ask my manager for work had I needed to.

I was given a lot of responsibility, analysing important data and producing work which was published in the public domain. I worked alongside leading academics on some projects and was also trusted to produce briefings for our CEO. I also took on responsibility for the recruitment of the student placement scheme.

The skills learned were not important for my studies, but will be valuable in a future career. From hard skills in data analysis and Microsoft Excel, to softer skills regarding project management and written communication, these will be essential for success. I was grateful to be able to choose various training courses, such as Excel VBA, which would not have been available to me otherwise.

The general atmosphere was very friendly and the analysts have a welcoming community. Birthdays and big events were always celebrated, and cake and biscuits were a frequent occurrence. Everybody was happy to help if anyone had a problem or technical difficulty, as well as happy to have a chat with you.

I was fortunate in that my team were allocated £1000 training budget per person. My line manager did not find that he needed all of his budget so allowed me to take some of his, meaning I was able to attend several training courses. I was allowed a lot of time away from my work to attend insight sessions, conferences and training.

There was a fantastic social scene with the other placement students, not only on our specific scheme, but also across government. We organised many socials after work. We also arranged insight sessions in different teams and government departments, promoting networking and socialising as well as general learning. Many of us have remained friends since completing the placement.

I lived in Zone 2 of London and my office was in Zone 1 so everything was expensive! My rent and travel costs were expensive, as was the cost of socialising, but covered comfortably by the salary. We generally chose cheap pubs and bars for our social events to keep costs down.

I was very busy during my placement year. I joined an orchestra for the year, with whom I attended weekly rehearsals and participated in termly concerts. I took ballet classes at English National Ballet every week. I also made the most of opportunities in London by going to museums and special events.