External Affairs Assistant Review
at The ABI
Placement (10 Months+)
PR and Communications
London
Review Submitted: September 2021
Overall Rating
4.7 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
Support and Guidance
4.3/5
-
Company Culture
5/5
-
Overall Experience
4/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
Some of the things I did on a normal day would include: monitoring Parliament, working on responses to cases raised with us by MPs, researching MPs or Peers to find out more about their interests, monitoring press coverage and queries that the press office receive, writing press and political updates for the organisation, and writing the weekly team newsletter for members.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
Yes, I was responsible for organising and working on a lot of tasks for the team which were important for the work that we do. Being able to lead on these important areas, such as MP cases, particular items of legislation, monitoring specific programmes' media coverage, or the newsletter that is sent to members. I really felt like I was trusted to develop my own approach and work autonomously, while being supported by the team.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
I really developed my communication skills, particularly adapting information for a wide range of different audiences. I was also able to develop my understanding about the insurance industry, as well as the political and media worlds. Alongside this, being in a supportive environment gave me the chance to develop professional skills, contributing to the team and learning how I work best. I was able to attend external training to support developing all of these skills.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
5/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
I had a lot of support, with regular check ins with my line manager, support more informally from the team, and a buddy system when first joining. People across all the teams I worked with were always willing to support me in the role.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
5/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
5/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
There were regular opportunities to do things socially with the wider organisation (both virtually and in person), and there are teams which work across the organisation on diversity and inclusion, as well as on wellbeing and social events.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
4/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
4/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
4/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I really enjoyed the placement, as I wasn't expecting to have as many opportunities to contribute and as much responsibility as I did. The team were amazing to work with, and I always felt supported in my role. I feel like this was a great opportunity to start my career.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at The ABI
4/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend The ABI to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to The ABI
You don't need to be an insurance expert, just show that you have an interest in whatever area you are applying to join. I enjoyed the application process more than I did for any other placement, because it shows you what it's like to do the job.
