Research Assistant Review

Completing my industrial placement at the Bank of England was one of the most enjoyable and insightful experiences. It has been one of the best opportunities to partake in work that has an impact on the economy and people's lives.

All colleagues across the Bank were extremely helpful and very kind. There was an open, collaborative and inclusive culture, which made it enjoyable working in a supportive environment where you felt valued.

Throughout the year I had regular bilateral meetings with my manager where I could reflect on the progress of my work, plan for the week ahead and receive feedback on how I could stretch myself to achieve more. Regular catch-up sessions with mentors, senior management and other workstream supervisors helped ensure that I received regular guidance, support and appraisal for my work.

Each day was different and there was always something important to work on - you could be really busy working towards a deadline, or there would be quieter periods. There was always good balance.

The role represents a significant opportunity to work on high-profile policy areas with scope for a significant degree of senior level interaction. I led on thematic pieces of work, assisted with policy evaluation and presented to senior decision-making committees.

Over the course of the placement I could benefit from a whole range of personal and professional development experiences – from technical seminars, external or internal training and secondments to other areas of the Bank. Completing a variety of training courses at the Bank has helped me apply myself to different situations with more confidence - developing my professional and interpersonal skills. Having built extensive knowledge of how Economics is applied in practice has helped me whilst at University, as I have the right technical knowledge to produce high quality pieces of work, and has improved my ability to critically analyse data to make relevant inferences.

Sometimes people would work in silos, but generally the atmosphere was very bubbly and the team made efforts to do fun things together such as drinks, lunch and away-days.

Very organised and structured well.

The Bank of England provide training courses to encourage career development and improve professional and interpersonal skills. The programme of training opportunities offered by the Bank is designed to ensure everyone can continue to operate at the very forefront of their fields.

There is opportunity to progress in different areas of the Bank and secondments are available.

Yes! We would always meet up and explore different places in London, as well as go for after work drinks.

Living and socialising in the centre of London can be quite pricey, especially as a student.

The Bank is located in the centre of London and there are some amazing bars and restaurants around the area.