Who I Am

I’m Stephanie, an Executive Assistant in the Civil Service. Besides supporting senior staff, I’m also involved in the policy unit of my department. I’m very new to the Service, and very much still figuring out my path – but the wealth of opportunities for personal growth and development have proven the Civil Service a fantastic place to do that. Working alongside senior civil servants and across departments, it’s been a fascinating experience so far.

The Path That Led Me Here

I joined the Civil Service pretty soon after graduating University but was keen not to rush into a career. The pandemic was a big disruption throughout my uni years, and so after graduating I took my time to do the things I was passionate about that I couldn’t do during Covid – I spent time travelling, living and working abroad before returning to the UK and starting the process of applying to the Civil Service. But once back home I also realised there were certain skills I lacked and set out to build these; I worked an office job in the meantime to gain experience and examples that aided my applications.

Getting My Foot in the Door

Getting your foot in the door is a process so be prepared; I spent the best part of a year applying before I landed a job! Perseverance is a must and to put it simply, you have to learn how to play the game. I had to completely change the structure, content and approach of my applications from anything I’d done before in order to meet the unique requirements of a Civil Service application. But once you’ve nailed the STAR technique, used relevant examples and shown how you display the required competencies, you’ve won. Alongside this, the best thing I did was ask other people to read over my applications. It doesn’t have to be someone already in the service – family, friends, colleagues, another set of eyes can make an application that bit stronger.

Lessons That Shaped My Career

My journey to where I am today is nothing like I envisioned; between pandemics, breaks from university, and the pains of the graduate job market, it has been a far more complicated journey than I expected. However, it was the way I responded to the challenges and made the most of these tricky situations that have actually proved to be the most formative experiences (and provided the examples that made my applications stand out!). I learnt the importance of having an open mind – things might not go the way you plan them to, but this can open so many doors that you never knew existed.

What I Wish I Knew Earlier

Getting your foot in the door truly is the hardest part. I had no idea how much simpler progression is once you’re in. I also did not realise the sheer number of opportunities available to learn and develop. My department hosts networking events, Learning and Development Groups, offers job shadowing and supports you in creating personal goals, and achieving them. The key is to ask lots of questions and to throw yourself into giving everything a go. These opportunities won’t be handed to you and can be easy to miss, but are well worth persevering with and making the most of!