GES Fast Stream Summer Placement Review

by Government Economic Service

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5
  • The Role
    4.3
  • The Company
    2.8
  • The Culture
    4.0

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • The internship was great experience and affirmed my interest in working for GES after I graduate. The work was interesting my colleagues were very welcoming.

    5/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • My colleagues were happy to answer any questions I had about their work and were keen to teach me more about the department and introduce me to people.

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • My manager had clearly put a lot of thought into the tasks I was given and was helpful throughout.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • I always had work to do with realistic deadlines.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I had a fair degree of responsibility for the tasks I was given considering the relatively short amount of time I had at my department.

    4/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • Seeing economics being used in a non academic environment was very informative. I picked up skills in excel which would help me in most jobs I will apply for and also became more familiar with the Civil Service which will definitely give me more confidence in applying.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • Although the office was quite quiet as many people were on holiday during the summer recess in parliament, the atmosphere was professional but friendly.

    4/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • This is probably the only disappointing area. On a local level my internship was very well organised by my line manager. Centrally, both within the department and across the GES the placement was less well organised, particularly in HR areas - it took a long time for security clearance to come through so I only found out my start date a week in advance.

    2/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • I felt the members of the team I was in were keen to teach me new skills. Due to the relatively short amount of time I was there, there little scope for more formal training.

    4/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Flexi Time

    Company Parties/Events
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • As with any Civil Service internship, you still have to apply through the fast stream with everyone else for a job - there are no offers given at the end of the placement. Hopefully the skills and experiences I gained will be helpful when applying.

    2/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • We went to lunch together and to the pub after work fairly regularly

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Naturally, in central London prices are high. I commuted into work from outside London so didn't have to worry so much about living costs.

    3/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • You can't really beat central London for nightlife, though it's quite expensive.

    5/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • I was able to go on my team's annual volunteering day to a charity in East London.

    5/5
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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Economics

London

October 2013

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