Careers
Friday 7 July 2023
This summer marks the third year Crest Advisory has taken part in the Micro-Placement Programme, hosted by City University, London. The scheme gives university students the opportunity to explore different career paths, including those not traditionally associated with their degree. Following an interview, at the end of the academic year, students spend a month with an organisation to gain an insight into the professional world. No previous experience is required.
This year we welcomed Tasnia Miah, who’s studying LLB Law at City University. As Tasnia comes to the end of her placement, she reflects on the past four weeks at Crest.
Why Crest?
I’ve always had an interest in the criminal justice system and was keen to broaden my understanding of topics separate from just the legal side of crime and justice. I thought Crest Advisory would be the best place for me to gain that understanding, particularly around social issues. I’ve found the last four weeks insightful and the work I completed pushed me out of my comfort zone.
What did you do while you were at Crest?
I worked alongside the communications team, writing up weekly media reports for different projects. I gained confidence from summarising news reports, selecting the most relevant articles, picking out the most important details and writing them in a concise way that would be easily understood. I was also tasked with making collages of newspaper clippings for projects Crest had completed, which enabled me to use my creative skills. I needed to find the most visually appealing way to present Crest’s projects and to highlight the impact they’d had in the national media. Working with the communications team challenged me to work outside what I am used to (a lot of legal documents!) and improved my understanding of different ways to engage with stakeholders.
I also worked with the Crime and Justice Analyst Network team to explore ways of developing a forum for analysts working in the criminal justice system. I conducted literature reviews and took stock of other social network groups to see their best practice and consider whether their methods could be applied to the project. I wrote up my findings, setting out how a new forum could have value for the analysts who join the network. For me, the project demonstrated how open people at Crest are to new ideas.
At Crest there’s a hybrid-working approach, where most people’s weeks are split between working in the office and working from home. I learnt to adapt to that style of working and speaking in online meetings helped to boost my confidence.
Time management was an important skill I developed from working across two different teams; I needed to make sure I prioritised the right tasks to meet deadlines. Moving between projects meant I could get to know different members of the Crest team. I found it interesting to see different styles of working, from in-depth desk research that is needed for weekly reports; to meetings focused on sharing ideas and collaborating to find the best way to achieve a certain outcome. It was an invaluable experience.
What did you enjoy most about working at Crest?
Working at Crest was eye opening - it was my first experience in a professional environment. Everyone in the team was very welcoming - they invited me to meetings which made it easy for me to seek help or ask questions about their work. I enjoyed the calm work environment and felt comfortable each time I went into the office; I also felt as though I was part of the team despite the short time I was there. The passion and drive that the team have for their work is obvious and it was inspiring to see how committed they are to produce the best quality work.