"Internship in the public sector – a career step for future Economists"
"I have been well taken care of, and it is interesting to take part in the economic processes that exist in the state sector, a field that is completely new to me," says Economics student Feruz Okbazghi who is completing her five-week internship at the Swedish Government Employee Pensions Board (SPV).
Feruz appreciates the opportunity to apply her theoretical studies in a real-world setting. She explains that the internship has helped her better understand how everything connects. Her main assignment has been to examine the pension flow for the national government employee pension system from an accounting and financial perspective.
“There’s a direct link here to macroeconomics and the financing of pensions,” says Charlotte Vikström, head of the teams working with analysis, actuarial services, and accounting at SPV.
Charlotte, who is Feruz’s supervisor, believes that in addition to engaging tasks, internships should also allow time for reflection, as learning is the core purpose.
“It’s important to have a clearly planned internship project and enough flexibility in the schedule. I personally don’t think it’s fair to fill every day completely—students need time to reflect on what they’ve learned.”
An internship at a government agency like SPV also broadens the view of the many career paths available—not just within finance.
“At SPV, we employ economists, analysts, statisticians, actuarial specialists, and macroeconomists. There are many career opportunities in the public sector for those with a degree in economics. That’s why it’s important for us as a government agency to host interns. It’s a way for us to showcase what we offer as an employer and the career paths available,” says Charlotte.
Contact
