My internship with the Civil Service – by Tobechi, a Biomedical Sciences student

Tobechi Egole, a Biomedical Sciences final year student, describes what she gained from completing a summer internship with the Office for National Statistics.

During the summer before my final year, I completed an internship at the Office for National Statistics. Studying Biomedical Sciences and signing up for an internship in the Civil Service was something that I had not planned to do, however it’s something that I am so happy I participated in. As a university student, it can get quite daunting when trying to find what to do as a career, where to go for help, who to ask and where to get experience.?

Luckily, I heard about this internship via post that was posted by my school on dashboard, applied and got the role! What drew me to this role was the job title – increasing engagement within the Health and Pandemic Insight directorate.

I achieved a lot. I made some amazing connections and was given some great advice. I was given three main objectives, alongside some other smaller responsibilities. My first objective was to produce a weekly notice board and make it interesting. My second objective was to produce a template for the newsletter that was to come out quarterly. My final objective was to organise and host an awayday to the entire directorate of 200+ people. This allowed me to grow in confidence and practice my public speaking skills.

Take advantage of being a student and the opportunities that are available. I would recommend completing an internship and undertaking as much work experience as you can as I think that it is a great way to learn about yourself- for example, your strengths, your weaknesses and what limits you can push yourself to. The best way to do this is to sign up to notifications on your Student Futures account.

Some tips that I would give to students considering an application for an internship or starting an internship would be to be confident. I say fake it until you make it. You’ll either make it or continue faking it until you do! I would also say get to know people’s stories and how they got to where they are today and ask a lot of questions! Finally, my line manager said on my last day – some things are out of your control. And this is the truth. Do your absolute best in every task, no matter how small it might seem, but some things are out of your control, however you can find satisfaction in knowing that you have done your very best.

Student Futures is currently recruiting for paid internships with the Office for National Statistics.

Apply on your Student Futures account