September 14, 2021, by abrierley

My placement at Enodo Economics as a Research Intern

by Wenjiao Hu, PhD Candidate – School of Economics

Many times during my PhD, I considered getting some work experience to add to my resume before completing my studies. I came across an email about an internship opportunity sent by the faculty of social sciences and decided to give it a try. I got an opportunity to do research about Chinese financial system directly with the chief economist Diana Choyleva in Enodo Economics for three weeks, but it got cut short due to a family emergency. The placement was done remotely, and as part of my role, I did several tasks, notably collecting and analysing data from major economic meetings in China.

I was interested in gaining some experience and understanding how the UK economic research institute works, which was one of the main reasons I was interested in working with Enodo Economics. This internship was very helpful for me to understand the work of the UK economics think tank and their efforts to ensure that overseas investors have a better understanding of China’s economic situation and investment environment.

The application process for the placement was quite a comprehensive process that required applicants to indicate why they were best suited for the placement. The interview process was a simple and friendly discussion to determine whether the applicant was well suited for the role. In the final round, applicants are required to write a research report about one Chinese financial issue for a limited time. My tips on the application and interview process for any potential applicant is to show your strong interests and good understanding of Chinese economy, and also your potential to become an excellent economist.

As part of my internship, I got to collect data from different official websites and report the data analytical results to my supervisor. The meeting time was very flexible and not have to be fixed in a time frequency. As long as I finish the required daily task and my supervisor has free time, then we can arrange a meeting to discuss what to do in the next step. The most enjoyable part of the placement for me was having a deeper understanding of the news from government institutions and the Chinese bond market. It was also the first time I did academic research about Chinese economy.

Before applying the internship in Enodo Economics, I was worried that it would be difficult for me to meet requirements from British working culture as an international student. However, after joining the company, I realized that I had been overthinking. My supervisor and other colleagues I met are very friendly. They gave me a lot of encouragement for every effort I made.

My advice to anyone considering a similar placement in Enodo Economics would be to accumulate financial and economics information about Chinese economy at the usual time and sincerely treat the academic research in Economics. For those worried about not being able to reconcile the working time with the postgraduate research, my advice will be to arrange an appropriate working schedule with the company since they will be happy to find a mutually convenient timetable with the successful candidates.

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