Hi Gabriele! You graduated from the master’s degree programme in Economics in 2019, what have you been up to since then?
My work trajectory after graduation has been quite bumpy. As I did not know what type of career I was looking for, I only started looking for jobs after graduation once I moved back to Italy. I applied to dozens of jobs, did a few interviews but did not manage to secure a job straight away. Only in February 2020, I received a job offer for a role as assistant economist for a small firm in Barcelona. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and since I could not leave Italy, I was back on the job market. Luckily, during the first lockdown, I passed the Assistant Economist scheme organised by the UK Government Economic Service and moved to the UK in December 2020.
Only in February 2020, I received a job offer for a role as assistant economist for a small firm in Barcelona. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and since I could not leave Italy, I was back on the job market.
I have been working as an Assistant Economist at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) since then. Something I learned from all this is that one should always keep trying, good things come at the end.
Today you work as Assistant Economist at the Office for National Statistics in the UK, can you tell us what your work tasks include? What does a normal workday look like for you?
The Office for National Statistics is responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the economy, population and society for the UK. As an Assistant Economist, I work in the economy area. In my team we provide ad-hoc analysis on the UK economy. These are usually articles and short notes about current and prevailing topics which are then published on the ONS’ website or shared internally. My main tasks are to scope new projects, read articles and collect the data to be used in the analysis. I also contribute to writing the articles and present the work both internally and externally.
I think working at a national statistics organisation is a great opportunity for economists. It is very useful to gain first-hand experience of how statistics are produced, from the collection of the raw data through surveys to the release of the final number.
My workday is quite flexible. As my role is mainly focused on research, I tend to spend most of the time reading material, analysing data and preparing presentations. I have weekly meetings with the team to plan the work for the week ahead and discuss the results of the analysis we are working on. I also engage with other teams for advice about data sources and feedback on the analyses I am working on.
As you made the transition from student life to your current career, what surprising skills or insights from your academic days turned out to be valuable in the professional world?
There are two main skills from my academic days that I find really valuable in my current role. First, the ability to work with various types of data. During my master at Lund University, many of the courses I attended required producing analytical work, usually in group projects. This has been particularly helpful as I need to be able to find the best economic data for the projects I am working on. Solid data analysis foundations have allowed me to perform well at my job.
During my master at Lund University, many of the courses I attended required producing analytical work, usually in group projects. This has been particularly helpful as I need to be able to find the best economic data for the projects I am working on.
The second skill is working collaboratively. In the public sector, being able to communicate and work with different stakeholders is a valuable asset. The group projects and presentations I did at Lund University were very useful to improve my ability to work with others and present my analysis to my peers. If I could add a final thing, the academic preparation and the focus on critical thinking at Lund University have been paramount to succeed in my role.
What advice would you give to current students pursuing a MSc in Economics who are interested in a career in national statistics or public sector economics?
I think working at a national statistics organisation is a great opportunity for economists. It is very useful to gain first-hand experience of how statistics are produced, from the collection of the raw data through surveys to the release of the final number. My advice would be to do some research on the types of job offered in the public sector. The public sector offers a wide variety of job opportunities, from economic policy to data intensive roles.
Not all jobs in the public sector are advertised on LinkedIn and big recruitment campaigns are usually run once or twice a year, so it is good to frequently check job portals. It usually takes some time from the job opening to the final interview. Many of these jobs require textbook knowledge of economics, where theory is used to elaborate economic policies. I would also advise keeping abreast of what is going on in the economy, read articles and follow the news. In many cases, you will be asked to apply economic theory to real world issues.
If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?
Given my Southern European soul, I would love to be able to forecast the weather and avoid getting surprised by the rain all the time. Jokes aside, I would like to be able to learn foreign languages quickly. If I hadn’t studied economics, I would have probably picked a career as a translator as I have always been interested in studying foreign languages and interact with people from different countries.
