Assalamu alaykum! My name is Aleena, and this is my story from the Civil Service Summer Internship Programme, a short but eye-opening introduction to life in government and policy.
💌 Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or would like to connect:
👉 www.linkedin.com/in/aleena-tayub-3138bb263
Sections 1, 2, and 3 are relevant to applicants
I have always been motivated by a desire to understand and stand against injustice, guided by the Qur’anic principle to “stand firm for justice” (4:135). That drive led me to study Politics, Philosophy and Law and sparked my interest in how policy operates in practice.
In my first year, I came across the Civil Service Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme, which immediately caught my attention. I wanted to gain real experience of how policy operates internally, so I set a notification to apply when applications opened the following year.
The process began online. The form was simple enough: choose a location and three work areas.
For location, I picked London. I wanted to experience being close to debates in the Commons and Lords, as well as the Supreme Court. I will also admit that I was ready for a break from the Midlands.
For my ranked schemes, I chose Policy first, then Diplomatic and Development, and finally Project Management. When I submitted the form, I did not know that this small decision would become such a huge opportunity for growth and insight.
After applying, I was invited to complete an online assessment. It is untimed, but trust me, you will still want a quiet room, plenty of time and a proper calculator. I only had my phone calculator, as I did not expect any maths, which was not my brightest idea.
Most of the test focused on how you would respond to workplace situations or approach decisions and case studies. I tried to keep the Civil Service core values in mind for every answer: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.