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Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

Science Communication and Content Development Intern Review

at Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

Placement (10 Months+)

Journalism and Publishing, PR and Communications

Didcot

Review Submitted: November 2021

Overall Rating

4.1 /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!

3/5 - Overview of Role
4/5 - Skills Development
5/5 - Support and Guidance
4.5/5 - Company Culture
3.5/5 - 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.
My role includes planning and getting involved in public engagement and outreach activities, as well as handling social media to promote current events and talk about interesting science, and writing articles aimed at the public and scientists. My role everyday includes staying updated on current news on social media, liaising with other public engagement people on development on current projects.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
Sometimes I had a lot of things to do, but most of the time, I was left on my own to find my own work. While this can be nice if you have all the necessary skillset, it can be quite stagnant sometimes. This job requires you to be proactive on your own and start your own projects, so you have flexibility.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
3/5

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
Developed my existing skills in graphic design, Photoshop, and video editing. Also developed my writing and communication skills.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
3/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
4/5
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
4/5

Support and Guidance

How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
Ample support and guidance from supervisors and line manager that answered all my questions, and also taught me about new science to help me broaden my understanding to generally put out better content.
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?
Everyone's extremely friendly and helpful when you need it. It is quite a casual working environment despite working from an office. You have ample opportunity to mingle with coworkers and other placement students.
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?
5/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I enjoy it a lot, but there are a lot of times where I don't have much to do. While it's important to take initiative, some times your ideas won't get approval so it requires a lot of further tweaking and brainstorming, which can be discouraging at times. But the work culture here makes it enjoyable to work here.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
4/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
3/5

Future Career Prospects

Please rate the future employment prospects at Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
4/5

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Ask as many questions as possible about the role before applying, to really know what you can do. Don't be afraid to pitch your ideas and be open. It's a great learning environment, so you definitely learn so much more than what your degree offers. Taking initiative is the best way to go about working here, or anywhere really.
In This Review
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