Criminology student, Nicole completed a 10‑week summer internship with the UK Civil Service last year, working with the Department of Work and Pensions. After joining our Spotlight on Careers in the Public Sector event and application support session, she’s now secured a place on the Civil Service Fast Stream.
Please tell us about your summer internship
My 10-week summer internship was through the Northern universities summer policy internship. This internship was open to students from Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Sheffield, Leeds Beckett University and The University of Leeds. I was based in a strategy team in the Joint Work and Health Directorate at the Department for Work and Pensions in Sheffield. The experience was inspiring and opened my eyes to a career in the public sector.
Can you tell us about a typical day in your role?
A typical day in my role included daily parliamentary question meetings, stakeholder engagement and meetings with my wider team surrounding the setup of the disability advisory panel. The internship had a hybrid working pattern which allowed me to work some days in the office and some at home.
What were your pre-internship worries? How did you overcome them?
My pre-internship worries were that I didn't know enough about policy. I overcame this within the first week of my internship by attending intro sessions to parliament and to policy. I was also worried about starting with a big group of interns but after meeting everyone on the first day, I realised that we were all in the same boat.
What skills did you develop on your internship?
I developed confidence, networking skills, succinct writing skills, interpersonal communication and team-working.
What was the best part of your internship?
The best part of the internship was the variety of day-to-day tasks, internship activities and the opportunity to visit Downing Street.
What benefits did you gain and why should students apply for a Civil Service internship?
A few benefits that I gained from the internship were:
- Increase in confidence
- Connections in the Civil Service
- Exposure to different careers
- First-hand insight to the public sector
Other students should apply to a Civil Service Internship because it genuinely teaches you so much. Even if you don't want a career in the Civil Service, the skills and experiences you gain during the internship set you up for any career. Without the internship I wouldn't have known the application process for the Fast Stream and I don't think I would have been successful getting on it!
