Citizens' Advice West Oxfordshire

Daily Life

My internship was conducted remotely, which meant a relatively quiet day-to-day experience.

My work was very independent, and the nature of working on individual video projects for

several days at a time meant that person-person contact was less frequent than expected, with

typically 1-2 online calls a day to discuss project status and provide feedback, as well as

detailing new projects and general housekeeping. This independence meant self-motivation

played a large role in productivity, since the absence of other people and the familiarity of your

surroundings when working from home can sometimes make it hard to slip into work mode.

Having a work project that I found interesting and enjoyed definitely played a significant role in

that self-motivation. To combat the threat that remote-working poses towards the blurring of the work/home line, I would simulate the

things I would normally do if I were working in

person: dress up smartly, don't work in the

same rooms I use for leisure, follow the

standard 9-5 schedule, etc. However, some

homely things did help make the hours a lot

more pleasant and enjoyable too, such as a

cup of tea and listening to music.

Lasting Impressions

The lasting impression I got from my internship is that of a brief insight into the inner workings

of a small business. My tasks were enjoyable and I was definitely able to improve my video

editing skillset, however, the most memorable lesson I got from experience as a whole was

simply a peek into the life of a small company.

BA Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Second Year Undergraduate, a mixture of

in-person and remote working

Work Projects

My main task throughout my internship was

compiling a local profile for the West Oxford

district. This meant researching a large amount

of information about the characteristics of the

district from a range of sources including

censuses and council plans. I then drew out key findings from this research about the ways in

which the district was in line with the national picture, and where the district departed from

this national picture. I also then considered how the picture I had developed on the

demographics of the district would impact on the work of Citizens' Advice in the district.

I found the opportunity to research national and contemporary trends, such as the cost of living

crisis and the impact of the pandemic, in a more localised and detailed environment. The

placement then allowed me to place knowledge I have developed in my degree and more

broadly into context, and enabled me to gain a greater understanding of the practical uses of

research skills I have developed in my degree. Citizens' Advice West Oxfordshire supported me

in completing this project well. I was able to go back for clarification about data sets and

specific aspects of the local profile when I needed, and the brief I got at the start of the project

provided plenty of resources to use as I completed the project.

Daily Life

I undertook the internship remotely, with the opportunity to go into the office for my first and

last day. Working remotely worked well for the project I was undertaking, as it was research in

which I could be mostly self-directed. Support was available on Teams when I needed it, and I

checked in with Citizen's Advice on the progress of the project throughout the three weeks.

Citizens' Advice also organised for me to shadow some of their practical work on the last day

which was incredibly valuable. This enabled me to put the research work I had been doing into

a more practical context, and develop a more in-depth knowledge of the practical workings of

the organization.