Who I Am

I’m Carole Lovstrom, Head of Ministerial Affairs in the Department for Transport and pleased to be asked to write a blog for Nathan, author of the Unofficial Civil Service Guide. I have worked in local office, head office, IT, HR, and Project Delivery, and I have to say it is my team and colleagues over the years that have kept me motivated, plus the huge variety of roles I have been lucky enough to land.

The Path That Led Me Here

I went into the Civil Service straight from A Level studies. I was the first in my (large) family to do A levels and it seemed a dream to have secured a place at teacher training college. My plan was to go off to college and become a primary school teacher. University was funded then and was a great option for me to continue my studies. Unfortunately, having failed my A levels pretty spectacularly, I was left living on my own and having to find money for rent, so I turned to the Job Centre for advice.  

Getting My Foot in the Door

My only experience of the Civil Service was a comment when I was 10 years old – “Carole is very bright but she wouldn’t even get through an interview speaking like that”. I grew up on a council estate in London and couldn’t work out what that meant – I spoke normally, I thought. I was determined never to join this “Civil Service” that sounded so elitist, but the Job Centre sent me to Brixton Benefit Office to interview for a 6 week temp job, and I needed the money so I pretty much “fell” into the Civil Service and have never regretted it. Never say never!

A Day in My Life

My current role is heading up a large team, making sure deadlines are met and quality is maintained and, very importantly to me personally, that my team members are considered in what we do, how we do it and how their career needs are met. I do a lot of senior stakeholder management, ensuring the team have the information and tools to do their jobs, and we are able to smooth peaks of work to minimise pressure on the team.

As a Chartered Project Professional I volunteer for roles in DfT response teams and have been seconded out to work on projects such as the 2012 Olympics, the Kings Coronation and the Eurovision. Our aim is always to make sure the transport aspects of these projects run smoothly, working with many other Government Departments.

I also have a more regular commitment, called Duty Office, where I am on call overnight and at weekends approximately once a week. I answer calls from the public, the police, ports and other transport operators should there be an incident in the rail, maritime or aviation sector. I really enjoy this work and have learned a lot about emergency response in the last 10 years.

Lessons That Shaped My Career

Over my career I have jumped at opportunities whenever offered and chased down any chance of learning or training. I love change and variety, and it took me some time to realise that isn’t exactly the norm. Many or most people have some sort of trepidation about change, and as it just excites me, I have learned to contain my enthusiasm a little, listening to others while helping the change happen.

My biggest jump was from working at local office to applying for a computer programmer role at head office. I was told by a peer that I wouldn’t stand a chance as I didn’t have access to a computer and had no experience. I went ahead and went through a battery of testing before I was offered the job which I adored, and which led me to the Project and Programme Management world. This opportunity gave me access to professional training and industry recognised qualifications which was amazing.

Another amazing opportunity which I have always been grateful for, was the Civil Service support for me when I studied for my BSc in Technology with the Open University. I was able to go part time, take maternity leave and study over 5 years which allowed me to gain that work-life balance.

Once I was in a more senior position, I was able to see how I was in the minority regarding social background and it inspired me to push the Social Mobility agenda, encouraging people into the Civil Service and then up the grades into the more influential roles. For the past 20 years I have been encouraging work experience and reaching out to those, like me, who might not know about the amazing breadth of careers available in Government.

What I Wish I Knew Earlier

I wish I had known earlier that diversity is at the core of great policy making – or even how policy making in Government affects the individual. My work experience hosting was originally carried out with little support apart from my immediate management but, after being awarded an MBE for promoting Social Mobility in Government, I now feel I have the backing of the Department, allowing me to speak at events and train people on how to carry out quality work experience.

I really want others to look at the Civil Service Jobs website, not limiting themselves to just what they know, and build a network of people who will help them achieve their goals. There are so many interesting careers that I am still discovering, and more areas popping up all the time. I love finding out about roles such as those in the Active Travel team, Accident Investigation branches, Decarbonisation strategy, Analysis and Legal roles… and remember that I knew nothing about the Civil Service when I started.

There is a place for people from all backgrounds in the Civil Service and there are many people keen to help with applications, CVs and interview practice. If people are looking to join, seek out these offers, do as much work experience as you can – even a day can make it onto your CVs – and remember that mantra “don’t pull the ladder up after you”. When you are in a good position, then help others. The Unofficial Civil Service Guide is an example of this and can be used alongside the official Civil Service guidance available online. Good luck!

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P.S. If you’re interested in sharing your story in a blog, get in touch with us at Team@unofficialguides.co.uk!