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Year 12 Work Experience into the Media World at The Economist
Two Year 12 students from Westminster City School, Selam and Sneha, recently completed a week-long work experience placement at The Economist, one of the world’s leading current affairs publications. The placement provided a unique behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a global media company and gave both students the chance to explore a range of roles and responsibilities across the organisation.
Sneha, who is currently studying A Levels in Maths, Politics and Economics, said:
“Over the week, I explored areas like data science, data analysis and business intelligence, and got to speak with analysts about their career paths and how they approach their work.I worked on a project focused on predicting editorial performance, using A/B testing and UX research to understand what makes content successful.
I especially enjoyed the UX side instead of just looking at surface numbers and we also analysed how small changes in design and content could influence whether someone stuck around or signed up. This taught me that editorial success isn’t just about attracting users, but about keeping them engaged through thoughtful design decisions.”
Selam, who is studying A Level Maths, Computer Science, Further Maths and Economics, also shared how she benefitted from the experience, saying:
“During my work experience at The Economist, I had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how a global media company operates. Throughout the week, we took part in a variety of meetings where we were also introduced to different roles within the business, and other areas focused on the tools and apps used to visualise data through graphs and statistics.
We also had training sessions to build our skills and knowledge. My highlight of the week was working in a team to develop a solution to increase engagement with The Economist’s Student Espresso app, which we then presented on the final day.
It was an inspiring and insightful experience that gave me a clearer picture of working in media and the power of collaboration.”
Both students had the opportunity to gain important knowledge and practical insight into careers that includes data, creativity and global impact. Thank you to the team at The Economist for hosting our two year 12 students who enjoyed their work experience.