Usman Khan, 4th Computer Science student
Can you tell us a bit about the Metropolitan Police and what your role involves?
The Metropolitan Police is the biggest police force in the UK and is involved in the policing of London. It strives to prevent crimes, protect the citizens and help the victims using data driven and community focused policing approach.
My position at the Met is that of a Performance Analyst. A Performance Analyst gathers, analyses and interprets data to measure the performance of an organisation and provide recommendations that will enable effective decision making. This is similar to
Data Analysts but focuses more on performance and presents packs on a monthly basis. The key responsibilities include decision support involving the analysis of data in relation to policing activities, such as crime and its outcomes. I extract data using SQL
and input them into Excel for further analysis. In the process, I prepare visual presentations and narrative explanations about the findings. All this is included in performance packs sent to senior officers. I work on different performance products
every month.
What’s been the biggest challenge, and what have you learnt from it?
The biggest challenge I faced was managing a high volume of tasks at the same time. There was a period where I was receiving multiple urgent requests from different officers. The deadline for each task was really short. The reason I faced this is because I
joined the Met at a time when an analyst who was working on a key project left and my team had no one to replace him at a time. My senior analyst trusted me and put me on the project. To manage all the tasks, I created a planner to prioritise work, track progress
and ensure deadlines were met. This approach helped me to meet deadlines while maintaining a high standard of work. This experience significantly improved my time management and organisation skills and therefore increased my confidence as it showed I can work well under pressure and deliver high quality products in a fast-paced environment.
How has the placement changed the way you think about your degree or career?
My placement has significantly changed the way I think about both my degree and my future career. Throughout my placement, I developed many useful skills that would benefit me during my final year in univrsity and the experience had given me an idea of what I
would be doing on a daily basis in a real job. The placement showed me many career paths and helped me decide which career path suits me best. I am enjoying my current role as a performance analyst as it involves problem-solving and data analysis. As a result, I feel more comfortable thinking about positions like data scientist, data engineer or data analyst. Overall, the placement provided valuable insight that academic study alone cannot offer.
What would you say to a Computer Science student who’s on the fence about doing a placement year?
I would highly recommend doing a placement year to any Computer Science student who is unsure. A placement gives you real-world experience and helps you develop both technical and soft skills that are extremely valuable in your final year and in securing a
Graduate scheme. Many graduate schemes now expect candidates to have some form of work experience, and a placement can significantly improve your chances of securing one. It also helps you understand which career path suits you best, whether that
software development, data roles or something else. By working in a professional environment, you improve skills such as communication and learn skills such as time management and teamwork, which are just as important as technical ability. When you
return to your final year, you will have a clearer idea of what you want to pursue and greater confidence in your abilities. Overall, a placement year provides experience and insight that you simply can’t gain from university alone.
What’s your one piece of advice for anyone applying to a competitive organisation like the Met Police?
My main piece of advice would be to be confident in yourself and apply for every role you are eligible for, giving each application your full eEort. When I first saw the job advert for my current role, I applied almost “for fun” and to add another application to my tracker. I genuinely didn’t think I would get the role. However, I spent some time improving my CV and wrote a strong cover letter that linked the job description with what I was studying at Uni. After two months, my CV got shortlisted and then I received an interview. This taught me you should never think a role is not possible to get or determine you won’t be successful before applying. Tailoring your CV with the job description is crucial since employers are looking for applicants whose knowledge and abilities match they need. Therefore tailor each application, apply widely and be confident in your abilities. You never know which opportunity might come your way.