Ordnance Survey

Company Details

Ordnance Survey provides businesses, individuals and the government with up-to-the-minute geographical information that they can rely upon. The agency keeps up with all of the latest technology to offer mapping data in the latest ways that people are consuming them.

The history of Ordnance Survey lies in the nation’s defence systems. In the late eighteenth century, the British Government of the day were worried about an invasion from France after the revolution there. They gave orders for the ministry of defence, called the Board of Ordnance back then, to survey and accurately map out the South coast of England to safeguard it from attack.

What started right back then, in 1791, continued at pace to lead what would later become known as Ordnance Survey to make an accurate map of the whole of the United Kingdom.

These days the Ordnance Survey, although still part of the UK Government, no longer relies completely on them for funding. They now sell paper maps, digital maps and other products and licenses to fund an annual £120 million enterprise.

They also offer some very interesting careers and internships to students and graduates just like you.

The Ordnance Survey employs well over 1,000 staff, and around a quarter of them are surveyors. So, if surveying is a career path that you are interested in, then you would be working for one of the best organisations if you could land a role at Ordnance Survey.

Other typical positions for students and graduates at the mapping agency include data collectors and managers, sales & marketing, human resources, finance and product development.

Ordnance Survey also advertises summer internships through the e4s website. Based at their headquarters in Southampton, these wonderful hands-on work experience opportunities are paid roles and tend to last somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks.

The internships are usually open to undergraduates in the first, second or penultimate year of their degree and give you the chance to work side by side with experts in the careers you are interested in. Ordnance Survey look for students who are on track for an upper first degree, with 280 UCAS points, but are not over-strict about the sort of degree you are studying towards.

Communication skills and a team working ability are two of the most important qualities you will need to display if you want to land either a full time job or an internship at Ordnance Survey.