Student Economist at the GES

Hi, I’m Bansaree.

I have recently completed my placement year as a Student Economist at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through the Government Economic Service (GES). I am going into my final year studying Business Management and Economics. 

I wanted to do a placement year to get relevant work experience for my degree area. An analytical role in an organisation that has a large impact on UK citizens sounded like a great opportunity and the economist position was fitting to my degree. I was especially intrigued to see what it was like working in the civil service as, like most people, I had preconceptions about what the environment and working culture would be like. Alongside this, I wanted to develop and gain skills that I could take into my final year and future career.

Making my mark

The year allowed me to get involved in impactful work that would inform decision making. This was daunting at first as it would involve collaborating with stakeholders to complete pieces of work that I had little knowledge on. The imposter syndrome was strong! However, once I realised that it was perfectly acceptable to be honest and say that I didn’t understand, I felt more comfortable and it was all a learning curve. As time went by, I felt more and more confident in the work I was doing and felt able enough to answer queries and make decisions without needing reassurance from my team. After talking to others this seemed to be a common experience. This has been valuable from a personal perspective as I now know that I am able to take on new information quickly and gain a lot of knowledge on various subject areas.

From a career perspective, I have had the opportunity to develop so many skills. Presenting analysis and using analytical software were two skills that I went into the year wanting to focus on improving. I had no previous experience of coding but was given tasks to do that which built up my confidence and knowledge to the point that I am able to use specific functions to get the data that I want. For presenting analysis, I wanted to improve my confidence and execution. I was encouraged to present over Skype and face-to-face and was often given feedback afterwards. This really helped build my confidence and helped me to identify the appropriate ways to present to different audiences and on different topics. 

Networking

Pre-Covid, there were many opportunities to travel around the UK for events and conferences or to visit team members in other locations to shadow them for the day. There were various induction events which was a great way to meet other new starters and learn more about the department and work areas. In my team there were also social events outside of work, including work drinks and lunches. I’ve been able to make really great friends through these. 

Adapting to the pandemic

Following the lockdown announcement in March all employees were asked to work from home. Transitioning to this took some time, however with the department being so big we already had various location hubs so virtual communication was already a norm. At such a strange and uncertain time there were multiple wellbeing calls which were really useful and it was clear that the state of employee wellbeing was prioritised. 

My tips for you

In terms of tips for applying for a placement, the most important thing is to seek opportunities and apply early. Most applications open in early autumn so it is crucial to prepare your CV and think of examples from your experiences to back up various behaviours and skills. If you have an idea of what companies/organisations you want to apply to, do research on them and think about why you actually want to work for them and what you will offer them. If you are unsure about where you want to work then look at opportunities on My Gateway, LinkedIn etc to see what kind of roles are available. Alongside this, I would highly recommend contacting the placement team. They can check CV’s and applications and will take the time to provide feedback. They can also offer advice if you are unsure what type of role you would like to go into. 

Hopefully you have gained more insight on what an analytical placement year in DWP was like.

Good luck on your placement search!