Our Social Research team is recruiting two Research Officers. If, like Cerys, you have a social science degree and are keen to make a positive impact, we’d love to receive your application:
“I work as student Social Researcher within the Irregular Migration Analysis team. We work to support a number of projects looking at subjects as diverse as irregular migration trends, organised immigration crime and the evaluation of government interventions to disrupt organised crime groups; all with the aim of informing policy and strategy development. As social researchers, we collaborate closely with statisticians and other analysts to create a well-rounded evidence base, drawing from both qualitative and quantitative data. Published statistics and social analysis form the foundation of our work and help to inform ministers so they can make evidence-based decisions.
I started at the Home Office five months ago having taken a year out of university for a government placement. My degree in Human Geography, with its emphasis on the social sciences, set me up with the core technical skills required for the role. Throughout my time here, I have been encouraged to engage in continuous learning and development, through training courses, conferences, and away days. I’ve found the department incredibly accommodating of my working patterns and work/life balance. I am keen to return to the Home Office after graduation to develop my skills and advance with the opportunities it offers.
I wanted to join the Home Office given its public facing role and ties to incredibly salient matters of public and global interest. I have found over my time in the Home Office everyone is committed to improving safety and security outcomes. Much of the work that we do is multifaceted and taps into a broad range of knowledge.
Every day is different when working within the analytical profession. The quick turnaround of ad hoc requests or parliamentary questions, for example, means working at pace in such a varied way. I’m learning something new each time. We work independently, as well as a part of a team. I have found it to be an extremely collaborative environment, and I have learned much from my diverse and friendly team.
I would highly recommend a career at the Home Office. I have found the social research profession to offer a perfect opportunity to apply data to help address pressing real-world challenges. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact of our analysis reflected in government decisions.”