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31/07/2014
Work Experience at the House of Commons

by Emma Solomon Year 12

I was lucky enough to be chosen from 600 applicants to do my work experience within the HR department at the House of Commons.  During my week I discovered that there are many different areas within HR, such as equality and diversity, health and safety, policies, etc., but I was allocated to work in Recruitment.

I worked alongside the Recruitment team and my duties included writing job advertisements, sifting through applications and filing.  I shadowed a couple of the team members in screening applicants and I also attended a meeting where forthcoming interviews were discussed.  The entire HR team were all very friendly and welcoming and I feel very privileged to have worked beside them. Unlike other placements that I have done in the past, I was not asked to do a single coffee run!

My induction day was on the same day as the State Opening of Parliament, which was very exciting as I knew Her Majesty The Queen had been in the same building earlier that day. I was told by my supervisor that we could go up to the Public Gallery and watch the Prime Minister as he gave The Queen’s Speech. This opportunity was incredible as it indicated what David Cameron wanted to change about the country.

During my actual placement, I was treated to a tour of the House of Commons (although this time I didn’t see David Cameron) and also the Old Bailey, where I watched a murder trial taking place. I found this very interesting to see the layout of a court room and to witness what happens during a trial.

I felt like I gained a lot from my week at the House of Commons and this experience has now given me a far better insight into what I want to do in later life, and now I am inspired to look more into the fields of HR/Marketing.

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