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How Nina got into the Civil Service
My journey applying to the Civil Service began when I left my teaching career of 18 years. I worked in an amazing, supportive primary school but the workload had left me burnt out and wondering if I could manage this work/life balance until retirement. The short answer was no. With a heavy heart, I left…
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Building a Career in Scotland: Gregor’s Journey
Meet Gregor I first joined the Civil Service back as an 18-year-old back in January 2017 as an EO Team Leader in the Department for Work & Pensions. The Civil Service motivates me as everyday we have the opportunity to make a difference in whatever role we are in. Before the Civil Service I grew…
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3 Lessons from Kamilla Kingstone
In September, we interviewed Kamila Kingstone, a former Fast Streamer who worked across departments, Number 10, and the Cabinet Office. She shared incredible insights into the mindset that helped her have impact and maintain her values in demanding environments. Here are the three key lessons we took from the session: 1. Act with Intention “What…
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Civil Service Career Spotlight: How Mel Hume Built an 18-Year Civil Service Career
Who I am I find myself 18 years deep into my Civil Service career, spending most of those years in HMRC before moving to the Department for Education (DfE) last year. I have always been strongly motivated by societal outcomes – I firmly believe Civil Servants are the backbone of a well-functioning society. The Path…
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David’s 3 Keys to Civil Service Career Success
Careers rarely follow a straight path, especially in the Civil Service. Our conversation with David Francis, former Senior Civil Servant and Director of the West London Alliance, was testament to that. At 18, David started his career as a chartered surveyor and has ended up leading huge national, regional and local programmes, including Help to…
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Demystifying Civil Service Behaviours: Scott’s 3 Lessons
Mindset and methodology were at the heart of our career conversation with Scott Fielding, a former Senior Civil Servant working as a consultant at Deloitte. Scott shared a candid account of how he cut through the complex language and process of Civil Service applications to secure new roles & promotions across six government departments. Here…
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3 Lessons from a Director General: Justin Russell’s Journey
Mindset and mission were at the heart of our recent career conversation with Justin Russell, a seasoned public servant with decades of experience across the Civil Service. As the first senior guest in the Unofficial Guides event series, Justin offered a candid and generous account of his journey – from academic beginnings to strategy roles…
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Mastering Civil Service Applications: Key Insights from Our Workshop
Earlier this month, we hosted another one of our Application Workshops. This is part of our ongoing mission at Unofficial Guides to level the playing field for anyone trying to break into the Civil Service. With a brilliant group of early and mid-career professionals, we rolled our sleeves and dove deep into the real work…