“Oscar really stepped into a daunting space and left talking the talk like one of us.” – Emma Wailes, Head of Design

How do you figure out if a career in tech is right for you? For a 15-year-old high Oscar, the best way was to jump in and experience it firsthand.

Last week, the herd welcomed a keen student for a hands-on work experience placement. From pairing with engineers to tackling a design challenge and attending a major tech event, he got stuck into the day-to-day of digital work learning how teams collaborate, solve problems, and build services that make a difference.

Learning by doing

Throughout the week, they didn’t just sit back and watch, he got involved at every stage by:

  • Shadowing specialists across different disciplines, seeing how designers, engineers, and analysts bring products to life.
  • Being paired with engineers to learn how code is written, tested, and deployed.
  • Spending time with the Ministry of Justice team, understanding how digital services can have a real impact.
  • Taking on a problem-solving challenge, working out ways to make our internal document library more accessible.

Exploring digital roles and ways of working

The week kicked off with a deep dive into the different roles within a digital team. Through a series of 1-1 sessions, the student met product managers, business analysts, engineers, delivery managers, and data specialists, learning how their work connects and how digital services are built.

Beyond that, he sat in on daily stand-ups and planning meetings, getting a feel for how teams collaborate and make decisions. Pairing with front-end and back-end engineers gave him hands-on experience with coding, testing, and problem-solving in action.

A highlight: Tech Talent Day in Manchester

One of the most exciting parts of the week was heading to Manchester Digital’s Tech Talent Day. He joined our team at the event, where he saw first-hand how companies showcase their work, engage with job seekers, and talk about careers in tech. Meeting industry professionals gave him a broader perspective on different career paths and what working in digital really looks like.

Taking on a real-world challenge

Later in the week, he tackled a challenge of his own: figuring out a better way to summarise key information from our internal document library. It was a chance to put his problem-solving skills to the test – thinking about user needs, accessibility, and how different roles contribute to building a solution.

By the end, he had explored different approaches and gained an appreciation for the kind of thinking that goes into designing simple, effective digital solutions.

Reflections on the week

As the placement wrapped up, they reflected on what stood out most. He was especially drawn to front-end engineering, and the mix of creativity and logic behind designing and building digital products. He also spent time with our recruitment team to explore career pathways and opportunities in tech.

Looking ahead

Work experience is more than just observing, it’s about getting involved, asking questions, and discovering what excites you. More than 80% of young people report feeling more attractive to employers following work experience or an employer-led placement, while around 75% say it helped them gain new skills and boosted their confidence.

His week at Hippo was exactly that—hands-on and full of opportunities to engage. He even joined the team at a public event, where he showed real initiative in speaking with visitors and supporting the team. As Emma Wailes, Head of Design, put it:

“It’s daunting for most people to be at one of these days. He took it in his stride, proactively looking where he could help. He listened to what we were saying about the company UCD approach, responded to questions from visitors as well as directing them to our online form whilst we were engaged. He did amazingly and his quiet confidence shone through”.

We hope their time with us gave him a valuable glimpse into the fast-moving world of digital and helped shape his next steps. It was great to have him as part of the herd!