'A fantastic environment to start my career'

Can you tell us about you and your background?

I’m a business management student from Exeter University, currently completing an industrial placement with the Met Office in digital marketing and content. I’ve always been unsure of what career path I wanted to pursue, so I chose this placement to gain experience and learn more about my interests in marketing and digital.  

Why did you apply to do an industrial placement with the Met Office?  

I’d always known of the Met Office as my go-to for weather forecasts, but applying for an industrial placement wasn’t something I had ever considered —especially since I’m not a meteorologist! When I saw the job advert, I was drawn to the chance to work at such a renowned organisation. The more I learned about the Met Office, the more I wanted to be part of their team. With a reputation of being a great place to work and having values that really resonated with me, I felt the Met Office would be a fantastic environment to begin my career.  

Can you give us an overview of your role and what you do on a day-to-day basis?  

As the Digital Content and Marketing Industrial Placement, I’m responsible for ensuring the quality and relevance of content on the Met Office website. A big part of my role involves reviewing and publishing web content, ensuring it’s suitable, accurate and accessible for everyone. I conduct keyword research using specialised search engine optimisation (SEO) tools to enhance content, boost ranking, and stay competitive. Additionally, I analyse user feedback, sorting it into themes to identify areas for improvement. 

What do you most enjoy about your role and what are some of the challenges? 

One of the things I love most about my role is its variety. Every day brings a new challenge and a new learning opportunity. I get to collaborate with people from different departments which has been an incredible way to broaden my skill set. The Met Office also prioritises personal development, giving me dedicated time to focus on growing my skills and knowledge. 

The main challenge has been having so much to learn. Starting my role meant diving into tools I hadn’t used before, such as keyword research and analysing web performance metrics. While exciting, it was initially a bit overwhelming. However, the team’s patience and willingness to guide me made all the difference, and I’ve grown more confident with each passing week.  

How has your overall experience been with the Met Office so far? 

The Met Office has exceeded my expectations as a workplace. I was nervous at first, but the supportive culture here has allowed me to thrive. We take our values seriously, and it’s clear these values are woven into every aspect of the organisation. Having the opportunity to shadow different teams that I’m interested in has also been great. I particularly enjoyed shadowing the Met Office weather app team and getting to learn what they do and how they operate. I was also given the opportunity to sit in with the chief meteorologist to observe how weather is forecast. This was such an interesting afternoon, and even though it doesn’t directly link to my job, the chief was still happy to give me his time.  

What support is available to you from the organisation? Line manager, team members, other resources and services etc.  

The support on offer to me is second to none. There is always someone I can turn to if there’s ever any problem. I have a weekly meeting with my line manager where I can bring up any issues I have. I also know if I’m stuck with my work, I could chat with anyone in my team, and they would be on hand to give me any help I need.  

Why would you recommend doing an industrial placement with the Met Office?  

If you’re considering an industrial placement, I can’t recommend the Met Office enough. It’s an amazing environment to start a career, with plenty of opportunities to dive right into meaningful work from day one. My team places a lot of trust in me, and I find that confidence is empowering. This placement has opened my eyes to the wide range of career paths in digital marketing and content, and I couldn’t have asked for a better start. 

This blog was published in December 2024