Work experience

Are you a student? Want to know what it's like to work for the Office? If so, you may be interested in the many annual work experience placements we offer each year. Below are accounts by some of our former work experience participants.

Economic Student Placement Schemes – Day in the life…

Matt Smith, Asia Pacific Team

I am a student at the University of York studying Politics and Economics. My course does not have a compulsory placement year, but I decided to apply to the FCO as I knew it would be a great experience. The placement provides a great mix of economics and politics letting me use the skills I have learnt at university in a real life context.

I work in the Asia Pacific Team as part of the Economics Unit. I have a range of roles incorporating research, regular reporting, economic analysis, as well as being the lead on certain topics. The work I have done is varied ranging from producing a report that was sent to a minister to working on an analytical report with a colleague on commodities. I also produce a two weekly report on developments in emerging markets which is sent out across Whitehall and the network, with responses to it coming from a wide range of people including Ambassadors abroad.

This placement has been an amazing opportunity for me to really use my economics knowledge looking beyond the textbook. It has definitely furthered my interest in economics and politics, getting past the graphs and tables and dealing with real world issues.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement so far and will definitely be applying for the graduate scheme in the Foreign Office.

Kalvir Bains, EU Strategy Department, Europe Directorate

As a Financial Economics student, at City University London, my course did not include a compulsory placement year. My interest in the close interaction of politics with economics meant that I decided to apply for a placement in the Civil Service. In particular, a year at the Foreign Office appealed to me as a way of gaining a greater understanding of the Office’s overarching involvement in cross-cutting issues, relevant across Whitehall.

Within my department, I am an EU Economist in the Economic and Social Reform Team, which focuses on the Eurozone, EU Growth and Financial Services Regulation, and the Office’s bilateral links with three EU member states. My day to day work is varied, due to the fast moving, crucial issues we deal with. I have produced briefing for Ministers and senior officials ahead of their bilateral meetings, contributed to update notes to Ministers and attended meetings with other Whitehall departments to discuss future strategy on our issues. As part of the team, I have attended events on behalf of the Foreign Office, from speeches to debates, and reported back a summary to colleagues across the Directorate.

We work closely with colleagues in our embassies across the EU network, acting as their first point of call on economic issues. The team regularly liaises with the network and other Whitehall departments, in developing an informed view of key member states’ positions which stem into future lobbying strategies. In my role, I regularly communicate with embassies to highlight the issues the team have been focussing on, and update them with the latest Government position. My responsibilities include organising a biannual conference for embassies, alongside the HM Treasury and the Department of Business, which aims to update colleagues on the latest UK priorities.

My time so far has allowed me to gain an amazing insight into the way the Office, and Government as a whole, operates. I have had the opportunity to visit Brussels, which has helped develop my understanding of the European Union, and its institutions. The department, and colleagues around the Office, really do make you feel part of the team. The work has been challenging on occasions, but the personal sense of accomplishment on meeting the deadlines, and the feedback, has been very rewarding. I feel that I have developed a better awareness of the influence and relationship of economic and politics in the public domain, and my work has already progressed to reflect this.

I am really looking forward to the rest of my year at the Foreign Office, and I will certainly apply for the graduate fast stream. A career in the Civil Service appealed to me before I started this placement, and this has certainly been reinforced in the three months I have been here.