Public Affairs Intern Review

I have really enjoyed this placement. I have got a lot of experience in politics and public affairs and have done a lot of interesting and varied work. It’s been a great opportunity to contextualise my degree and put the theory I have learnt into practice. Insurance is also a surprisingly interesting industry!

Working in a small team, I have felt very valued by my colleagues as I have responsibility for a number of key supportive areas for the team, and I am always happy to help out where I can. Being given specific responsibilities quickly gives you the chance to support the team in a valuable way.

My supervisor was very supportive, and I felt I could always ask questions if I was unsure about something. I had regular catch ups with my supervisor and through weekly team meetings management and my supervisor were able to give me guidance. Through the development plan process I was also able to explore opportunities for career development.

Every day was busy, and I was never without something to do. Work varied in degrees from busy to very busy! The workload is largely dependent on parliamentary business, for example when there is a lot to be monitored or there is a lot of legislation going through the House. But being in a supportive team, I was always able to share the workload, and likewise help other colleagues when they were very busy.

I was given responsibility for specific things such as contacting MPs when their constituency was flooded, writing responses to letters from MPs and maintaining internal monitoring and tracking systems. Whilst I was responsible for these areas, I was always supported by my supervisor, and knew that I could rely on them.

Getting experience in politics on my placement has been very useful. It has put my degree into practice and provided me with greater knowledge about politics that I would not have otherwise gained, and given me plenty of ideas for my dissertation. It has also allowed me to explore different career options, as well as giving me invaluable work experience in a professional environment.

The general atmosphere in my office was very friendly, but also very professional and hard working. As an organisation, the ABI works very hard, but also strives to maintain a good work life balance. The atmosphere is very collaborative, and it is a really supportive workplace.

The work placement was very well organised by HR and by my supervisor. The turnaround from interview to starting was very quick and in my first few weeks I had lots of induction meetings to introduce me to the work of the ABI and to ensure that I didn’t feel too out of my depth. There were also many training opportunities and my supervisor was keen to give me as much experience as possible.

The ABI invested in me a lot, offering me many training opportunities, especially on insurance and in professional skills, The ABI also gave me a lot of experience in a number of different internal areas.

The ABI is a really good place to work and a great place to start a career as the experience that you get is invaluable. As a small organisation, there aren’t as many opportunities for career progression as within larger organisation.

As a very friendly and collaborative organisation, you get to know everyone. There are multiple opportunities to socialise with colleagues through events organised by the Sports and Social committee.

The cost of socialising is expensive as it is in the City, so you pay London prices for everything. But there are cheaper places to go, and many ABI-organised events are subsidised so are really affordable.

There are many bars nearby, and being on the circle line, the office is a quick tube journey from most parts of London.

The Sports and Social Committee organised events regularly, such as a pub quiz, crazy golf, the Christmas party and many more. There is also a book club. Politically, I am always encouraged to go along to any events that I'm interested in and attend relevant select committee hearings or APPG meetings.