Our Mission
Career advice should not depend on who you know.
The Unofficial Guides exists to make public sector career advice clearer, fairer and easier to access.
We share practical guidance, real stories and useful resources for people exploring, applying to and progressing in Civil Service and public sector careers.
Why The Unofficial Guides exists
Public sector careers can be rewarding, interesting and full of impact. But finding your way in is not always straightforward.
Applications can feel confusing. Recruitment language can be hard to decode. And if you do not already have a network of people who can explain the process, it can feel like you are trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces.
The Unofficial Guides was created to change that.
We believe good career guidance should be accessible to everyone, not just people with the right connections.
What we do
We create and share practical support for people trying to get interested, get in and get on in public sector careers.
We are guides, not gurus. Our goal is to gather, simplify and share useful advice from people with expertise and experience of the system, so more people can benefit from it.
Who we help
Our resources are open to everyone.
We are especially focused on people who may not have access to informal networks, mentors or insider guidance. That includes applicants, students, graduates, career changers, non-graduates, people outside London, people from lower-income backgrounds, underrepresented groups, neurodivergent applicants and people trying to progress without clear support.
Who is behind The Unofficial Guides?
The Unofficial Guides is built by people who believe public sector careers should be easier to understand and more open to everyone.
Nathan started The Unofficial Guides nearly five years ago to help demystify Civil Service careers and applications. He spent five years in the Civil Service and now works in local government. Through UG, he focuses on making public sector careers, applications and progression clearer for people who may not have access to insider knowledge or professional networks.
Harry is a former Civil Servant with experience across immigration, Brexit-related policy and cross-government work on ex-offender policy. He brings an insider understanding of how government works and supports UG’s resources, events and guidance, helping turn complex career information into practical support for people exploring, applying to and progressing in public sector roles.
What makes us different
Our work is built around a few simple principles.
Make it Clear
We break down public sector applications, interviews and career routes in a way that is easy to understand.
Make it Fairer
We want to reduce the role that networks, background and circumstance play in who gets access to good career advice.
Make it Practical
We focus on useful steps, examples, templates, checklists and advice – not vague encouragement.
Make it Accessible
We share as much as possible for free, because nobody should be blocked from good advice because they cannot afford it.
Make it Human
We share real stories and conversations with people who have taken different routes into public service.
Looking for application support?
If you need help with Civil Service applications, interviews or public sector career routes, start with our free guides, events and resources.
The Unofficial Guides 