Testimonials
Victoria, Systems Tester
‘I feel I achieve as much working flexible hours as I did when I worked a really long day, but the difference of working at ONS is that I also benefit from having my family life’
I have been working for ONS for less than a year, having previously worked in a financial services organisation. I did a degree in statistics, so I guess you could say that I have always had an interest in numbers and indeed the work of ONS. Coming from a commercial environment, the culture of ONS was something of a shock – but in a good way. In the private sector I felt that everything was driven by time and budget, which meant that by the time a project was delivered to me, my job was always given less importance because of time constraints. But it is very different at ONS, they understand how important it is to allow time for the testing part of the process, so there is proper planning and so my role here is so much more rewarding as a result.
I am also getting involved with more test automation and the applications that I am working on are very complex and I am gaining new experiences all the time. The training is excellent – I have already completed my ISEB intermediate Certificate in Software Testing, and it is reassuring to know, especially in the current economic climate that ONS is still willing to invest in training. One of the good things I have found is that you have some choice about the work you take on and you are not just left with the work that no one else wants to do just because you are one of the newer members of the team. We are building a centre of excellence for testing, so opportunities for progression are growing all the time.
The flexitime really works for me and my family. We can take up to two and a half days per month as additional leave if you have worked in excess of your basic hours, which really helps when you have that childcare emergency or appointment and you don’t have to use up your holiday. There are no core hours so I tend to start quite early to avoid the traffic, but generally finish by 4.00-4.30pm. On-site facilities are good, there is free parking, a gym, restaurant and shop – and on a Friday I go to salsa classes, where else could I do that?
Mathew, Applications Support Officer
‘I do feel a sense of pride when I hear ONS being mentioned on the news’
My wife was looking to move back to the area, so I had kept an eye out for roles in the area via the Civil Service website. I joined around six months ago and so far what has impressed me are the training and development opportunities that seem to be on offer and there are certainly good promotion opportunities around. At the moment I spend a couple of days a week in London as we are taking on some of their projects in our Newport HQ. My area processes all the data that are collected by our field interviewers, and there is certainly plenty to do and there is a wide range of technologies being used.
The nature of the work is so important and ONS provides a vital service to the country. I do like the feeling that I am part of that.
David, Solutions Architect
‘I wouldn’t have envisaged I’d be doing what I am doing now, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my job and I love working for ONS’
I joined ONS around eight years ago and had a very different background to most people in my team. I was previously working as a chemist, but was frustrated by the lack of real career progression in my company, and so was studying for an HNC in IT at my local college.
Some of my friends already worked here (I live locally) and so I knew that ONS had a good reputation as a local employer. I joined initially as a Database Administrator, and within a few months I was working with the server team, dealing with the outsourced suppliers who were building our website. The role expanded to embrace new web technologies and I was given lots of freedom to learn new things. Over the next two to three years I was supported by a proper training and development packages and I was given the chance to further expand my database knowledge. Two years ago I became part of IM strategies and I have recently been promoted to a Solutions Architect looking at business processes. I could be working on three or four different projects with a team of analysts and developers, it is always very varied.
The noticeably different thing about the atmosphere at ONS is that people say hello in the mornings and come to work with a smile on their face. The benefits are good too, such as holiday entitlement and best of all, the flexible working, which means that I can work the way I want to work.
While inevitably there are challenges as we look to change the way we deliver our business to keep pace with change, I know that nothing stays the same forever. But I am really looking forward to going on that journey and expanding my knowledge and experience with ONS over the coming years.
