Summer Diversity Internship Programme Intern Review

I was provided high level work from the outset and a multitude of opportunities to network and experience other areas and departments within the civil service.

Only reason this isn't getting full stars is because I didn't get to meet everyone! Those that I met were incredibly helpful and friendly especially my line manager and mentors.

My line manager supported everything I wanted to do and helped me adapt to the (initial) steep learning curve. When my line manager was out the next line manager would offer the same amount of valuable support and insight.

Some days I found I had very little to do, however this could be attributed to the fact that I was either still finding my feet or about to leave. Generally speaking the workload was good and kept me stimulated.

So I wasn't quite running the show, but I was drafting high-level policy documents and making valuable contributions to the team with all work I was assigned being useful to the team as a whole and not just pencil pushing or making coffees.

I was a graduate by the time I was on the internship so it didn't really help there. However, the oral/written communications and project management skills that I learned have proved invaluable. The insight some of my mentors and managers provided into interview technique has also proved incredibly useful.

I literally loved every second of work, all my colleagues were friendly and helpful as we're the security and cleaning staff. My only regret is not spending more time with them. Thankfully I'm still in contact with many of them.

Whilst generally the organisation of the internship was very good, the HR side left a little to be desired as I am still sorting out taxes and pay!

The internship invested a lot in terms of long-term skills for the fast stream and it's application/selection process. My team however, didn't invest as much as it wasn't necessary for my position. They did help me when necessary by providing access to the Civil Service Learning site and demonstrating work in line with certain approaches such as PRINCE 2.

Some people were offered 12month contracts, unfortunately I was not one of them. Completing the internship has made me prioritise the fast stream as a career prospect.

There were bits and pieces scattered throughout my placement, I was fortunate/unfortunate to have been the only intern in my unit (great because I socialised with existing civil servants, but bad as I did not spend time with many interns). However, there is a trade game that allowed me some social time with other interns on my team, all of whom I'm still in contact with.

I was placed in London so go figure...

Amazing nightlife in London if you can afford it, be prepared to spend around £4+ per pint though! Sometimes my colleagues just paid for my drinks which was a nice perk.

The internship provided scope to get involved with various departments (tours around no.10 and parliament, working for the MoD crisis team) however, a lot of the experiences I had were due to my line manager, mentor and I organising things that we thought I might be interested in.