1. careers
2. career planning

Brighter
Summer Placement Guide
INTRODUCTION
First and foremost – well done!
You’ve been successful in applying for a
Summer Placement with the Met Office.
The placement programme offered here
will provide you with so many exciting
opportunities, a few of which this guide
will show you.
Note: this guide has been written to
provide you with an informal insight
to what you may experience while on
placement at the Met Office. For official
guidance please check the Met Office
website or contact HR.
We hope that this guide can be passed on
from one placement group to another, so
please help out the next group by keeping
it fresh and relevant.
This guide explains some of the
practicalities of starting your placement.
It has been written by placement students
for placement students, so read on for
advice and reassurance from those who
have been there!
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Summer Placement Guide 01
WORKING AT THE MET OFFICE
This guidebook contains information
that will be most useful for those based
in the HQ at Exeter. If your placement
is in another area of the country this
guidebook will still have some useful
hints and tips, but it would also be a good
idea to speak to your Line Manager to
discuss the facilities there.
A typical working day
To be honest there is no ‘typical’ day as it
will depend on the team and the type of
work. However, you’ll probably develop
your own working routine once you’ve
settled in.
Working hours will be stated in your offer
letter and confirmed in your contract. The
frequency, length and time when breaks
can be taken are things you should clarify
with your manager when you start.
However breaks away from your screen
are encouraged.
In previous years, Exeter summer
placement students have made a habit of
meeting up at the same time and place
everyday for lunch. This means there’s
always a familiar face to sit with,
regardless of people working in different
parts of the office.
this is something you can learn about
from your manager.
Dress code
Your work
The Met Office provides a fairly relaxed,
modern, yet professional working
environment. Dress code will vary
depending on the department you’re
working in, however ‘smart casual’ is
usually the term used when referring to
this. Generally speaking, those in business
and customer areas will find the dress
code smarter than those working in the
research areas.
The actual work you do will be hugely
varied depending on where you’re based.
You may be assigned big projects or a
series of smaller assignments, involved in
individual work, team-based tasks, large
team meetings or smaller discussions held
in the coffee shop or in ‘pods’ – small,
private rooms around the edge of the
office available to anyone to use.
On your first day, dress smartly (i.e.
no jeans) and assess the dress code in
your department for your future time at
the Met Office. It is always better to be
overdressed than underdressed.
You’ll manage your own workload so
make sure you’re well organised and
confident in what you’re doing. If you’re
not sure then just ask, and someone will
be able to easily clarify what your tasks
are.
Your manager may be able to provide
you with more specific information, so
if this is something that concerns you
then try and ask about this before you
arrive. Some of the more smartly dressed
departments take part in ‘dress down’
Fridays but again
Recent summer placement students have
described some of their experiences in
this guide, but you may also find that the
Met Office careers website is a good place
to learn more about the work being done
by different groups.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here. The organisation of my work has been particularly good as it provides a balance
between project and day-to-day legal work. It’s helped to give a practical perspective to my legal knowledge and
I’ve learnt a lot about the challenges that commonly arise in a commercial context. I’ve also had exposure to risk
management, Freedom of Information requests, Intellectual Property Rights and cross-jurisdictional agreements.”
Alicia Corby — Legal team (2013)
“My Summer Placement was in the Surface Sensors team in Observations R&D where I got to analyse the effect of
hardening on temperature measurements and investigate the use of marine mammals in obtaining temperature profiles
in the North West Shelf region. For the enclose hardening project I was given the opportunity to go to Camborne,
Cornwall to see the experimental set-up and see how observations are taken at Met Office sites across the UK. I really
loved that my team were invested in developing my research and programming skills and by the end of the Placement
I was able to confidently programme, handle data and present my research. Everyone in the Met Office is friendly and
they are always happy to chat with you about what they do. Since there were so many other students there was a great
social side to the Placement. Even now I’m still in touch with many of them.”
Thomas Dent-Jones – Observations Surface R&D – Surface Instruments (2014)
Summer Placement Guide 02
WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR FIRST
FEW WEEKS
Day One - You’ll be asked to report to
reception on your first day for 9am. You’ll
need to bring your passport so that you
can collect your pass that you will use
for the duration of your time here. From
reception you will be met by a member
of HR who will take you on an induction
day. Here you will learn a bit about
the Met Office and take part in some
welcome activities and network with
others from the business.
Lunchtime can vary in each department
so make sure you have checked with
your Line Manager when you are able
to go. It’s been a habit in previous years
for Summer Placement students to
meet up for lunch, so make your way
to the canteen and look out for others.
There are lots of Summer Placement
students so they should be pretty easy
to spot! Lunchtimes are a great way to
get to know others in a more informal
environment.
The rest of the first few weeks - As the
week goes on you should become more
familiar with the Met Office and you’ll
soon get into a day-to-day routine. You
will have some online induction tasks to
complete as part of your induction. These
are tasks that every member of staff at
the Met Office has to complete when
they start. Keep a look out for invites in
your inbox to Summer Placement events
where you can carry on meeting fellow
students, managers from different areas
and gain a greater understanding of the
Met Office. These are great opportunities
to network – you never know when a
contact might come in handy.
Further Opportunities - One of the
great things about the Met Office is that
there are a lot of different departments
under one roof for example – if you wish
to learn about Commercial Marketing
but are currently working in Flood
Forecasting you can find out more. Use
the 12 weeks to get to know as many
people as possible. A valuable tool at
your disposal are your fellow Summer
Placements students. If there’s an area
that you are particularly interested in,
arrange to meet up with the student
in that department for a coffee to learn
exactly what they do. Finding out about
other areas is something you need to
initiate yourself so be proactive!
WHILE YOU’RE WITH US
Communication
Internal Communications
The Met Office has an internal website
– an intranet – called MetNet, which
contains all the latest internal news,
events, team and administrative
information. Online forums enable
people at the Met Office to share news
and discuss a wide variety of topics, as
well as Twiki pages and email.
Street Brief
On Thursday afternoons from 1.45 to
2pm, the Operations Centre (known as
the Ops Centre) runs the Exeter Street
Brief, a short presentation where a
forecaster runs through the weather of
the past week and the forecast for the
coming week, specifically the weekend!
More in depth forecasts are provided for
any events or sporting fixtures such as
festivals, football matches or a grand prix.
Chief Forecaster’s Brief
Every morning the Chief Forecaster
gives a 15 to 20 minute talk about the
current weather systems and forecast for
the coming days. This can sometimes
be quite technical but interesting and
lets face it; there aren’t many other
organisations in the world where you can
benefit from such expertise!
This takes place in the Ops Centre and
tends to be quite popular so get there a
couple of minutes beforehand.
Seminars
The Met Office organises regular seminars
with experts from around the world
talking about their work. These are
related to the business of the Met Office
and you can learn so much by attending
these. The events page can be found on
MetNet and you should add them to your
calendar so that your manager knows
where you are!
Tours
For security reasons, there are some
areas of the HQ building where your
pass will not give you access, however
you may be able to organise tours of
these places. Areas you may wish to see
include the Operations Centre where the
forecasting takes place and the IT halls
that house the supercomputer. Other
tours available include the radar tower,
observations enclosure and the Library. If
you’re interested in a tour of these areas,
then speak to your manager, as it may be
something they can arrange while you’re
working here.
Sports and clubs
Sports Day
The Met Office Sports Day takes place
every summer. Placement students
normally set up a team and compete with
everyone else; usually being one of the
most enthusiastic teams!
You’ll need to have a team captain who
will communicate with MOSSA (Met
Office Sports and Social Organisation)
and the other placement students. It’s a
good idea to wear the same colour t-shirt
to help identify your team mates when
competing as you may not know each
other that well at this stage. The events
range from the standard track and field to
team sports such as netball, volleyball or
frisbee. The afternoon usually ends with a
BBQ so all in all there’s a good mix.
Clubs
There are several Met Office sports clubs
which you can join and participate in
each week depending on the sport. Clubs
may include swimming, ultimate frisbee,
netball, football or dance. These usually
involve training sessions, competitions,
tournaments and even socials.
Other Met Office clubs which aren’t sport
based include the book reading club,
orchestra and choir, and the Christian
Fellowship.
You can find more about all of these and
how to get involved once you start.
“I would definitely try and do as much with your time as possible and get
involved with Met Office life as much as you can. Don’t be afraid to ask for
help or advice from anybody and everybody. Just make the most of your
time here – twelve weeks sounds long but it honestly flies by and your
placement is over before you know it.”
Megan Hayes
IT and Customer Service – Weather Desk (2014)
Summer Placement Guide 03
HQ FACILITIES and Benefits
To find out about the many different
facilities the Met Office has to offer please
see the ‘Starter’ leaflet which you will
receive before starting in Exeter. Here are
some additional details you may wish to
know:
The Street – this is the name for the
large atrium that connects the floorplates
(different working areas of the office) and
holds the coffee shops, restaurant and
other amenities.
Places to eat – the restaurant is open
for breakfast from 7am to 10am and
lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm. There
is a selection of hot meals including a
vegetarian option. If you go to the back of
the restaurant, the Iso Bar serves freshly
made baguettes and wraps. There is also
a cafe in The Street which is open 8am
to 4pm. As well as tea, coffee and hot
chocolate, they serve a selection of cakes,
bagels and baguettes. Around the Met
Office there are several tea and coffee
machines where you can help yourself to
a selection of drinks.
Self-Service Shop – as well as selling
your standard items, a dry cleaning
service is also available here.
Gym – current timetables for group
classes can be picked up from the
reception at the gym. To become a
member of the gym you’ll require an
induction and pay on a monthly basis,
while classes are available on a ‘pay as
you go’ basis.
Commuter facilities – for those who
cycle, walk or run into work, there are
showers available in the gym, free of
charge. Hair dryers can be found in
both male and female changing rooms.
Lockers are also provided around the Met
Office.
Cash – if the cash machine within the
building is out of use or you’re in need
of a bank, there’s a HSBC under a five
minute walk away in the Exeter Business
Park.
Nearby supermarkets – The closest
supermarket to the Met Office is a
Sainsbury’s. This is located just off Hill
Barton Road and will take approximately
20 minutes to reach on foot.
The Met Office Library – the Library
is located next to reception and has a
good selection of books and journals that
might be useful during your placement.
You can find fact sheets on extreme
UK weather events and displays of
instruments used in weather observation
throughout history. Another excellent
facility provided by the library is the
archive, from which you can retrieve
weather observations from past dates,
for free. This could make a good, cheap
and personal gift for a birthday! There
are several PCs in the library that aren’t
connected to the internal servers, so you
can check webmail accounts or social
networking sites on your lunch break as
you won’t be able to access these sites
from your desk.
Civil Service Pension Scheme - it’s
never too early to start thinking about a
pension. The Civil Service offers a variety
of pension schemes that will be available
to you during your time here. A section
is included in your employment contract
which will highlight the pension options
available to you. You will also receive a
Pensions pack shortly after you receive
your contract which will give more
information to help you chose which is
the best option for you.
“One of things that I immediately noticed is that the facilities at the Met Office are excellent. There are several catering
areas serving different types of food at reasonable prices and it is normally easy to see somebody you know to sit with
and talk to. I really loved the fact that there was an onsite gym which is cheap to join and offers loads of classes - being
able to go to the gym on my lunch-break or immediately after work has been incredibly useful.”
Tim Eastoe
Human Resources (2014)
Summer Placement Guide 04
Getting around HQ
HQ can look quite daunting and large when you come in, but
don’t worry you will soon learn where everything is and where
you need to go. The different block names are usually just
shortened to a letter. For example DG means Discovery Ground
Floor, and C1 means Cordouan First Floor. Here is the ground
floor map to get you started:
Jupit
er
Horn
by
WC
Eddy
stone
Korsakov
Fastnet
WC
EG-2
FG-6
CG-2
FG-3
FG-1
CG-1
BG-3
Green
Island
FG-5
BG-2 BG-1
The Street
WC
WC
WC
ia
Alexandr
Beagle
CG-4
CG-3
Cordoua
n
Disc
over
y
WC
WC
FG-2 FG-4
Summer Placement Guide 05
ACCOMMODATION
It’s important to note that the
responsibility of finding somewhere to
stay during your summer placement is
yours and not that of the Met Office.
However, we’ve compiled some advice
from previous placement students that
should help you.
General Information
As a key city in the South West, rent
prices can vary in comparison to other
towns. It is a student city, and the
majority of your placement will occur
during the University vacation. This
means that there are lots of unoccupied
student houses which landlords may be
eager to rent.
Once you have started at the Met Office
some colleagues may have rooms
available at their house so keep your ears
open and put out feelers should you need
to move elsewhere.
Common Areas to Stay
Mount Pleasant - This may be a good
area to begin your search. Lots of student
rental properties are based in Mount
Pleasant and inevitably this is where
several placement students end up living.
It is located near to several bus routes
to the Met Office and is also a relatively
simple cycle ride (for all those active
amongst you!) The city centre is a fifteen
minute walk away, and there is a large
Morrisons nearby. Many streets here do
not require a parking permit, but always
check before parking.
The City Centre - This central area is
served by numerous bus routes and there
are supermarkets within the centre as
well. However, as such it can be a noisy
alternative, particularly on the weekends
and free parking can be a problem. This
doesn’t mean that this location should
be discounted and in the past placement
students have found good lettings.
Where to find information
looking for accommodation it may be
worth asking if they know of any places to
stay – in the past this has lead to an offer
of accommodation. All avenues should be
explored – the worst that can happen is
that somebody says no.
Websites to visit - Previous students have
found places to stay in privately owned
student accommodation so try these
websites:
Your best resource is your fellow
Summer Placement students - Previous
placement students have started
Facebook pages to meet others before the
placement begins. Remember; everyone
is in the same boat as you and almost all
will also be looking for accommodation. A
lot of Summer Placements have organised
to stay in the same place and to share
advice or information that they have
discovered about living in Exeter.
Northernhay House
www.unite-students.com/exeter/
northernhay-house
Your Line Manager - Before your
placement starts you will be contacted
by your Line Manager, and if you are at
one of the other Met Office locations this
would be especially useful. If you are still
www.houseshare.com
Southam Fields
www.southamfields.co.uk
Alternatively you may want to visit some
of these websites:
www.spareroom.co.uk
www.rightmove.co.uk
www.airbnb.com
“I think that the best advice I could give a future intern is to look for
accommodation as early as possible. Try to work with the other interns
on finding locations to live. I talked to other Summer Placement students
and we found a house for the four of us.”
Sarah Illingworth
International Relations Intern (2014)
Summer Placement Guide 06
EXETER
Activities in Exeter
Going out in Exeter
Facilities
Cinema – there are cinemas in Exeter
for all needs; from multi-screen cinemas
such as Odeon or Vue showing all the
big blockbusters to smaller ones, such
as Picture House showing foreign and
independent films. All are easy to find
with a quick search online.
Clubs, pubs and bars – there’s a
variety of different nightclubs in Exeter
varying in size, layout and atmosphere.
As for the music, most play chart and
club songs. However if you look a little
harder you’ll find places playing rock,
indie, dubstep and drum and bass. The
selection of pubs is no different with a
huge range all around the city. As well
as traditional pubs and modern cocktail
bars in the city centre, you can grab a
pub lunch just a short walk from the
Met Office.
Religious organisations – to find out
more about religion in Exeter, visit the city
council website at www.exeter.gov.uk/
index.aspx?articleid=9184
Sports – a sports park at the top of the
main University campus is available to
the public. See their website for details
at http://sport.exeter.ac.uk. A few more
sports centres and swimming pools in
the city can be found online. Other sports
available in the area include bowling and
paintballing.
Quay – the quay has a great selection of
restaurants and quirky shops. They are
all built into caves in the walls and if you
sit outside you have a lovely view of the
river. You can walk or cycle for a good
distance following the river, either all the
way to Exmouth or just to the Double
Locks pub!
The University of Exeter website has a
good guide to going out, however it’s
aimed at students who are here during
term time so the days of the week
when the clubs are open are likely to be
different. Their guide is still very useful for
pubs and it does still have a list of clubs
which is a good place to start:
www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate/
location/living/exeter/nightlife/
Gigs – over the years, Exeter has hosted
many bands and artists, from big names
to small acts. Sometimes they play at
venues on the University campus and
sometimes at venues in the city. A quick
search on a ticket website will uncover
what’s happening over the summer while
you’re here.
Post Offices – to find the one nearest to
you, the online Post Office branch locator
is really useful, just press ‘Branch Finder’
at the top of this website:
www.postoffice.co.uk. In the city
centre, there’s a large Post Office in the
Princesshay Shopping Centre.
Police stations – if you do find that
you have to go to a Police Station, the
Neighbourhood Police Station for Exeter
is on Heavitree Road. This is open 24
hours a day, seven days a week (with
the enquiry office open 8am to 10pm,
seven days a week). For more information
on the police and what to do for nonemergency issues, visit www.exeter.gov.
uk/index.aspx?articleid=3141
Libraries – the main library in Exeter
is Exeter Central Library which is open
seven days a week. To find out about the
libraries in Exeter and their opening times,
visit www.devon.gov.uk/exeter_libraries
NHS services – GPs, dentists, hospitals
and Walk in Centres – the easiest way to
find out about your nearest GP, dentist,
hospital or Walk in Centre, is the NHS
Choices website – simply enter your
postcode at
www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories
You might find it difficult to register as
a guest at nearby surgeries as they are
often too busy. As an alternative there are
two NHS walk in centres. There is one on
Sidwell Street in the city centre, and there
is another at the Royal Devon and Exeter
Hospital. These are open seven days a
week. The nearest A&E department is also
at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
Summer Placement Guide 07
Places to visit
Exeter is a beautiful city and has all the
entertainment you would expect, while
still being very close to and having
the feel of the countryside. The South
West has a lot to offer and it’s definitely
worthwhile getting out and about during
your placement and seeing a bit more of
Devon.
Beaches – there are many beaches within
a short bus or train ride away from Exeter.
Popular choices are:
• Exmouth – a long sandy beach
fronting a reasonably sized town.
• Sidmouth – a town smaller than
Exmouth with mainly pebbly beaches.
“I’m working in Ocean Science validating the error analysis produced by one
of the Sea Surface Temperature products, OSTIA. My supervisor has been
very helpful, giving me more independence as my placement has gone on
and the opportunity to work things out for myself. I went from needing help
understanding the plots I’d created to confidently showing my supervisor
what I had discovered. It’s a really comfortable and relaxed working
environment, they allow you to manage your own time and encourage you
to attend seminars and other Met Office activities. You meet some really
great people and I know I will be staying in contact with the other placement
students long after I leave. It’s helped me to gain confidence, learn new
skills in programming and data handling, and showed me that the world
of work isn’t as intimidating as I was expecting! I’m very glad I got onto the
placement and know that this is a very valuable experience to have.”
Alice Robins
Ocean Forecasting (2013)
• Torquay – a very large seaside town
with an attractive harbour, a theatre
and a small sandy beach.
If you’re into surfing, North Devon or
Cornwall tend to be the best options.
Dartmoor – this National Park is a huge
expanse of space, broken up by the tors,
sheep, goats and Dartmoor ponies.
Exeter Cathedral – in the middle
of the green in the city centre. This
large, historical cathedral makes for an
interesting visit and there are some nice
restaurants around the outside for food
and drinks.
“I worked in the Climate Monitoring Attributions Group studying the
energy stored in the oceans which meant drawing on many aspects of my
university degree in order to do the research my supervisor assigned to me.
The supervision I was given was excellent and being there meant that I was
surrounded by world leading experts in climate science. Every employee
I chatted to was eager to tell me about their work. This broadened my
knowledge of the Met Office, opened my mind to new possible career paths
and gave me some useful contacts for the future.
Jacob Blamey
Climate Monitoring Attributions Group (2014)
Summer Placement Guide 08
TRAVEL AND DIRECTIONS
For information on how to reach the Met
Office, consult the directions guide at
www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/contact/
in-exeter.
Here are some additional details:
Cycling – cycling to work is very popular
at the Met Office, however it may be
advisable to avoid cycling on your first
day as you won’t be able to use the
facilities (such as changing rooms and
showers) until after your manager has
picked you up from reception. These are
easily accessible on following days and for
more information please read the section
on commuter facilities.
A small number of pool bikes are available
for short and long term lets. These can
be used for getting to and from work,
trips during the day or as emergency
transport. For more information contact
Reception on arrival.
For more general information about
cycling in Exeter visit the Devon County
Council site at www.cycledevon.info or
view the following guide at
www.devon.gov.uk/excguide.pdf
Rail – the stations closest to the
Met Office site are Pinhoe station to the
north and Digby and Sowton station to
the south.
Trains run between Digby and Sowton
and Exeter St. Davids (passing through
Exeter Central) approximately every 30
minutes between 7am to 6pm, after
which they become less frequent. The
same is true for Pinhoe. However trains
are more sporadic only running every few
hours.
Train fares for these journeys are very
reasonably priced and are cheaper still for
those with railcards.
For further information and journey
planning see National Rail Enquiries at:
www.nationalrail.co.uk
Bus and coach – there’s a bus stop
located within the Met Office grounds
and a Park and Ride just down the road.
Timetables, plus maps of bus routes and
Exeter city centre bus stops, are available
from Devon County Council:
Buses: www.devon.gov.uk/buses
Park and Ride:
www.devon.gov.uk/park_and_ride.htm
Parking – on your first day you will not
yet have your security pass so push the
‘call’ button at the barrier and wait to
hear the security guards response.
They will talk you through where to park
for the day (most likely the visitors’ car
park) and also for the rest of your time
here.
If someone is picking you up or dropping
you off it may be advisable to do this
from FitzRoy Road before reaching the
security barriers. If, however, they require
a parking space then a request can be
submitted via MetNet.
“During my 12 weeks at the Met Office my main project has been to help with the implementation of the new
e-recruitment system called TalentLink. This involved translating all of the Met Office’s current recruitment processes so
that they can function in an online system. It was a mammoth task, but it was very rewarding and I can’t wait to see how
it all looks when it goes live! I have also been working with the recruitment team on their day to day tasks which have
included working with application forms, organising interviews and collecting references. I also spent two days up in
the Operations Centre where I got to see what the forecasters do and I got to help on the Weather Desk. Another of my
projects was to update this Summer Placement Guide and to create a Summer Placement Prospectus – I hope you like it!
There is also a great social aspect to being a summer placement student as there are 44 students all in the same position
as you! Overall, it has been a very valuable experience as I have been able to see how a world leading organisation
functions and all of the staff really friendly and helpful.”
Ashleigh Day
Human Resources (2013)
“The team that I have been working with here in Legal have been very friendly and welcoming and the work I have
been able to do whilst on placement has been both challenging and rewarding. My placement was structured so that
I had projects specifically designed for the duration of the placement to complete. I was trusted and expected to work
independently to organise, manage and deliver these projects which meant that I was able to refine and demonstrate
important skills that I will be able to use in future employment.
The team also included me in much of the day to day work that they conducted so I was able to maximise the exposure I
had to different types of legal work.”
Callum Burbidge
Legal Team (2014)
Summer Placement Guide 09
FAQs
How do I accept my offer?
How can I contact my manager?
In your offer letter it should give a date by
which you must accept your offer by. You
should do this online in TalentLink
Once you’ve accepted your offer you may
wish to ask HR to pass you email address
onto your manager. It’s advisable to have
some direct contact with them before
starting – they will be the person you
are working with for the duration of your
placement and will be able to answer
your questions about the work you’ll
be doing and general queries you have
about the Office.
On the BPSS Questionnaire who should
I give as my work sponsor?
This can be left blank.
How long will it take between accepting my offer and receiving my contract?
There’s no set time frame from the
acceptance of an offer to the receipt of
your contract. Each case will be different
but try not to worry if it has been a while
since you’ve heard anything. If there are
any problems you’ll be contacted about
them.
There are several things you can do to try
and speed this process up:
-
-
-
-
Fill in the questionnaires and upload
you documents as soon as possible.
The earlier you do this the sooner the
Met Office can begin the checks.
Make sure you provide all the
information as accurately as possible
and send all the required documents.
Notify those listed as previous
employers or educators that they
will be contacted for a reference and
request politely they return it as soon
as they can.
If possible arrange provisional start
and end dates so that your contract
can be issued as soon as you’ve
received the necessary clearance.
What will I be expected to know before
I start?
You won’t need to know anything specific
before starting your placement other
than the original job advert information.
You may want to ask your manager if
there’s any preparation you can do but
anything essential you’ll be told.
When will I find out my start date?
All placement students will start on
Monday 29 June 2015.
How much/when will I get paid?
In your offer letter, the salary is stated pro
rata i.e. the amount you would be paid
if you were working at the Met Office
for one year. Therefore, you’ll receive a
proportion of this salary equivalent to the
number of weeks you are working.
Sometime in your first few days you must
enter your bank details into the electronic
system as shown by your manager. You’ll
be paid on a monthly basis on the last
working day of each month i.e. if 31 July
falls on a Sunday, you would be paid on
the Friday before. You should be able
to view your pay slips on the internal
system. Don’t forget about deductions
made for National Insurance and also for
tax if you’re no longer a student.
Am I entitled to annual leave? How do I
go about booking this?
Like pay, annual leave is given pro rata
– the amount you are entitled to during
your placement will be stated in your
contract. For example, if you haven’t
worked for the Met Office previously,
and are recruited for a standard 12
week placement, you are entitled to
approximately six days off. Your manager
will advise you of the annual leave
procedure in your team and show you
how to request leave.
What tax forms do I need to fill out?
The form you’ll need to fill out depends
on your current circumstances.
P45 – This will be provided from your last
employer where you were required to
pay tax – this will be issued to you when
your previous employment has ended.
P46 – This form will need to be
completed if you’ve previously been
employed and paid tax but as yet have
not received your P45 from your previous
employer.
How do I get a National Insurance
Number if I don’t already have one?
You can only apply for a National
Insurance Number once you are in the
UK. You don’t need one by your first day
of work but you will need to obtain one
as soon as possible so that you pay the
correct tax contributions. You will need to
book an appointment with the Job Centre
for this.
Summer Placement Guide 10
Summer Placement Top Tips
01
Remember to bring your passport
with you on your first day to give to
Reception. Chelsey Cooper –
Satellite Applications
05
02
Talk to and socialise with as
many other people as
possible. Especially if they
work in a different area to
you, it gives you a better
idea of what the Met Office
does. Alicia Corby – Legal
Don't forget that there are showers,
bike racks and lockers so you can
cycle in after your first day when
you’ll have access to everything.
Lydia Golland – Observations
R&D Surface
06
Make sure you get involved! If
you want to see a different
department, ask! If you want to
shadow someone, sort it out!
You determine your placement
and what different parts of the
Met Office you get to go and see!
Sarah Philp – Public Weather
Service Civil Contingencies
04
If your placement involves coding,
brush up on a few languages other
than the one you interviewed on.
There will be a lot of pre-existing
code in a variety of languages when
you get here, and if you can make
use of it rather than doing
everything again, it will make your
life a lot easier. Rebecca Walton –
Climate Impacts
03
There are free tea and coffee
machines around the office. I am a
coffee addict so I brought in a mug
to save on the paper cups! Rosie
Jones – Flood Forecasting Centre
Summer Placement Guide 11
For more information visit
www.metoffice.gov.uk or call our 24-hour
Customer Centre on 0870 900 0100.
Met Office
FitzRoy Road, Exeter
Devon, EX1 3PB
United Kingdom
Tel: 0870 900 0100
Fax: 0870 900 5050
[email protected]
www.metoffice.gov.uk
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