Insight Day Participant Review

I attended a Diversity Insight Day in which I learnt about the different possible routes into a career at the Bank of England. I enjoyed the event a lot as I am interested in working for this organisation and felt that I gained valuable advice which could help me during the application process.

During the Insight Day I felt that there was a strong effort made by the employees of the Bank of England, especially during the networking session, to get to know the participants well and to make us feel valued. Although I only spent a short time at their offices, I felt quite welcome.

I felt that I received a lot of guidance during the Insight Day, starting from a presentation regarding Early Careers at the Bank of England which informed me of what I could expect from a role at the organisation. Furthermore, I gained valuable insights into life at the Bank from a panel session in which current employees explained their own career progressions - from university to their current role.

During the Insight Day, I participated in a trading game as part of a group, in which we had to react to external shocks to the economy of our country and changes in exchange rates. This was useful as it was an application of my studies. Furthermore, the information I received was helpful for the application process of the Bank of England.

The Insight Day was quite short and lasted only around three and a half hours. However, there were numerous events packed into the agenda and it was very well organised. I also felt like I was given quite a thorough insight into the organisation and that the Insight Day had not been rushed.

The atmosphere during the Insight Day at the Bank of England was on the whole quite welcoming - the other participants of the programme were also very friendly and I have remained in contact with some of them. The employees were also eager to speak to us and gave us honest insights into their current roles.

The firm invested in me to some extent, by providing me with relevant advice to keep in mind during the application process and also providing general interview tips.

The Insight was very useful in terms of helping me understand what a full time role would be like at the Bank of England. This was because of the Panel Session, in which a panel of five current employees from various divisions within the Bank explained their day-to-day activities, in addition to the culture at the organisation and their other involvements outside of their work commitments.

The Insight Day helped a lot in terms of understanding the company culture as I was able to speak to a large number of employees during the networking session portion of the day. They were able to provide an honest insight into their own career progressions at the company and also explained any struggles they had initially.

The content of the Insight Day was very valuable in helping me decide on my future career path. I had already been very interested in applying to the Bank of England and the events they had planned out furthered my desire to apply to the company and perhaps eventually secure a job with them.

I was not paid or reimbursed expenses but travel expenses were offered.

There were opportunities to meet employees who worked at the firm. An initial panel session introduced us to a few of the employees and they explained their roles and journey up to their current roles. Another larger networking session allowed the participants of the Insight Day allowed us to speak to a larger number of employees 1-on-1 and gain a greater insight into the company.

The networking events were of a very high quality and I enjoyed speaking to the employees as they were very enthusiastic about their jobs at the Bank of England. The employees were on the whole very kind and willing to discuss their experiences, and I was able to add a few of them on LinkedIn in order to maintain a relationship with them in the future.

I learnt about a lot of opportunities and involvements that a large number of employees are part of whilst working at the Bank of England. I also learnt about various diversity programmes which aim to increase the inclusivity within the firm and ensure that no one feels disregarded or marginalised whilst working for the company.

I would recommend this insight to a friend, especially if they are already interested in applying to the Bank of England, as I believe that it provided me with valuable resources which could help with my application.