The Government Economic Service Sandwich Student Placement Scheme Review

My job as a systems configurator primarily involves me using CORD to help to develop new systems and improve existing systems in accordance with architectural standards and development frameworks. An example of this is the work I did to get historical quarterly GDP processes that were done in excel onto CORD. CORD is the Central ONS Repository for Data and it is a platform on which systems can be built to process time series data. CORD allows system configurators to create datasets, calculations, and tasks using different objects. A lot of my time is spent error-checking on CORD this involves drilling into calculations on CORD and checking for inconsistent or missing time-series data.

I have developed my IT skills. I had to spend time learning the features and quirks of CORD, and my Excel skills have advanced significantly since I started my placement. I am now more confident in using formulas, and not using Excel like a word processor. My communication skills have improved a lot. I am on regular calls with my team members speaking about complicated economic statistics systems and also sometimes I needed to hold challenging conversations with members of the architecture team. My problem-solving skills have developed substantially. When error checking on CORD there is a lot of points at which the system could fail. So being able to independently problem solve is a key skill I have developed.

Yes, I was given the responsibility to help come up with a solution for how to get the quarterly historic GDP process from Excel onto CORD. Secondly, for my work on the FSPS publication, I was largely given the freedom to make graphs I wanted with the data and these would then be attached to the statistical bulletin. I was also able to speak up at team meetings and was given the opportunity to present important findingd to a large audience.

I received a lot of support and guidance throughout the placement which made me feel very at ease. When onboarding the ONS has an excellent training program that gets you very quickly up to speed with how the organization works. The ONS also offers a considerable amount of training programmes throughout the year designed to boost your skills and guide you. I also felt comfortable with asking my line manager and team members questions that I did not know the answer too. No question is a silly question!

I loved the culture of the ONS. Everybody was so friendly and made me feel very welcome. The ONS rewards hard work and going the extra mile. When you do this you can receive a reward and recognition reward. Throughout my placement I recieved 3. I also loved that you had flexibility in your working hours and that you could work from home - this was a big benefit over some companies who do not offer this type of service.

Undertaking a placement year at the ONS has been a fantastic and enjoyable opportunity for me. During my time at the ONS, I have gained invaluable experience and developed essential skills such as communication and IT skills that will help me during my future career p I felt like the work that I did on the historic quarterly GDP system and the FSPS publication was really important in the wider context of the organization, and it felt meaningful.

Yes

When applying for the Office for National Statistics you will undergo an intense interview process. I recommend that the civil service behaviors should be studied in detail as you will be asked situational questions based on the behaviors in this booklet. Secondly, you should be confident in your first year Micro and macroeconomics. You will be asked questions based on this. But, you'll also be asked application questions. So, for example, can you apply the concept opportunity cost to owning a bar of gold.