I want to work in ..... the Public Sector

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYERS AND VACANCIES

CIVIL SERVICE: GENERAL INFORMATION

Central Government Departments and Agencies

"The public sector is increasingly required to meet targets and therefore values commercial awareness in addition to a commitment to public services"

(Vitae)

 

PROFILE: Civil Servant - Fast Stream Entry

INVOLVES: research, writing reports, memos, letters, ministerial speeches, briefing ministers, liaison with other Government departments, non-governmental organisations, industrial & commercial organisations.
EMPLOYERS: Ministries & Whitehall-based Government departments - not local/regional offices.
RELATED JOBS: local government administrator, eu administrator, NHS manager.
SATISFACTIONS: Public service ethos; personal involvement in development of specific policy areas & high-level decision making.
NEGATIVES: High-pressure work; low morale, financial rewards not as high as private sector.
SKILLS: written communication, analysing, investigating, cooperating.
ADVANCEMENT: Civil Serivce has graded promotion structure: Fast-Stream entrants usually achieve team leader after 3 -5 years
DEGREE: Any degree subject is acceptable.
TIPS: Very competitive. Apply via www.faststream.gov.uk the Civil Service's accelerated development programme for graduates. Be aware of current affairs for discussion at interview.

 

PROFILE: Civil Service - Operational Officer

INVOLVES: Implemention of Government legislation. Liaison with the general public, other Government departments/agencies & outside bodies. Management of staff & resources.
EMPLOYERS: Government departments & agencies, in local & regional offices as well as London.
RELATED JOBS: Local authority administrator, non-governmental public bodies (quangos) administrator, NHS administrator.
SATISFACTIONS: Public service ethos; people contact. Mainly 9 to 5 hours.
NEGATIVES: financial rewards not high. Lot of bureaucracy
SKILLS: written communication, organising, cooperating.
ADVANCEMENT: Civil Service has graded promotion structure: higher- level posts usually involve management of a greater number of staff & more policy work. Can apply for transfer to Fast Stream through internal competition.
DEGREE: Any subject is acceptable.
TIPS: Be aware of current affairs & the work of the department you are applying to, for discussion at interview.

 

Civil Service Science and Engineering Graduate Fast Stream

This now offer a more clearly defined four-year programme. The programme divides neatly into two halves.  The first two years will give breadth of experience; the second two will give depth. New Fast Streamers will gain experience in at least four of the following areas:

 

The placements will be in at least two government departments, and may be in different parts of the country. There will also be an opportunity to work in the small and medium enterprise sector or in a charity through a short secondment. During their remaining two years, they will gain more in-depth experience in two 12-month placements.  They will then have completed the programme and, subject to a final assessment of ongoing development needs, they will graduate from it. Applications for entry in 2013 will be accepted from Monday 17 September until 30 November 2012, via www.civilservice.gov.uk/faststream.

Technology in Business (TiB) Fast Stream

For graduates with a lively interest in how technology can transform the way the Civil Service does business, the Technology in Business (TiB) Fast Stream is an outstanding opportunity.

TiB candidates do not have to be studying for a technology related degree –successful candidates have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

Consider the IT challenges posed by education, health and welfare, justice, and border control. The TiB Fast Stream offers graduates the opportunity to get to the heart of issues like these, whilst equipping them with the skills and experience they need to take on a range of senior cross- government IT and digital roles later in their careers.

In the 2013 competition there are a number of opportunities for TiB Fast Streamers in Warrington.  Universities in the North West, please note. To find out more about the TiB Fast Stream, visit the Fast Stream website at http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/The-Fast-Streams/TIB-Fast-Stream or contact itprofession@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk.

Applications for entry in 2013 will be accepted from Monday 17 September until 30 November 2012.

FINANCE-RELATED PUBLIC BODIES

 

PROFILE: Tax Inspector - HM Revenue and Customs

Agrees the accounts of companies & individuals by enquiry, investigation & negotiation. Works as part of a team on complex tax projects. Formulates policy. Investigates evidence where there is a suspicion of fraud. Offers specialist tax advice.
EMPLOYERS: HM Revenue & Customs
RELATED JOBS: Accountancy - in some aspects, particularly tax advisory work.
SATISFACTIONS: Good working relationships; personal responsibility - freedom to make decisions etc; challenging work.
NEGATIVES: Lack of recognition by public etc; a lot of change - both to type of job & job security.
SKILLS: negotiating, persuading, investigating, cooperating, numeracy.
ADVANCEMENT: To management position within District Office, or to head Office technical/policy advisory role
DEGREE: Any degree subject is acceptable. On-the-job training provided
TIPS: Apply to Graduate Talent Programme of HMRC www.hmrc.gov.uk early in your final year.
Experienced inspectors sometimes move into tax consultancy in the private sector with accountancy firms.

 

PROFILE: Customs & Revenue Officer

INVOLVES: preventing the smuggling of drugs, weapons & other prohibited items into the UK. Collecting taxes on imported goods. Observing people in the customs hall who have just entered the country. Questioning selected individuals & searching for smuggled items. Examining freight. Arresting people suspected of smuggling.
EMPLOYERS: HM Revenue and Customs www.hmrc.gov.uk
RELATED JOBS: police officer, environmental health officer, immigration officer, factory inspector, vat inspector, trading standards officer
SATISFACTIONS: People contact. The buzz that comes from making a successful seizure or arrest. Not desk-bound.
NEGATIVES: Can be stressful & occasionally dangerous especially if working in anti-smuggling team. Irregular working hours. Wear a uniform. Pay not high. Can only work near ports or airports
SKILLS REQUIRED investigating, verbal communication, listening.
ADVANCEMENT: Can be promoted to higher grades or transfer to VAT work or administration role.
DEGREE: Degree not required but legal or language skills may come in useful.

 

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

 

PROFILE: Local Government Administrator

Responsibilities may include working with the public, elected members of the authority, colleagues in other departments & outside bodies to provide & monitor services & ensure value for money. Areas of work within local authorities include: Committee services (a frequent entry point for new graduates), elections; complaints investigation; personnel services (including equal opportunities), tourism, leisure services.
EMPLOYERS: Local authorities - county, district, borough councils
RELATED JOBS: executive officer - Civil Service, social services administrator, personnel manager, nhs manager, public finance accountant.
SATISFACTIONS: Variety; challenge; providing a quality service to clients; seeing results of your work; good opportunities for training & development; working as part of a team; equal opportunities ethos.
NEGATIVES: Pay is still less than in private sector. Customers may hold negative views: public bodies are often regarded as less efficient than the private sector.
SKILLS: written communication, organising, cooperating, problem-solving.
ADVANCEMENT: Various posts exist from clerical/admin or graduate trainee, upwards. May need to move between different authorities to move up the promotion ladder.
DEGREE: administration, politics and business degrees are useful for committee work; law degree for legal section; human resources, sociology and psychology degrees help for personnel work; estate management degrees are valuable for land & property work.
POSTGRADUATE STUDY: Postgraduate degrees, e.g. in Public Administration, are available but not generally required for entry into administration - often aimed at people with relevant experience. Other qualifications may give an advantage as appropriate, e.g. CIPD qualification for personnel work.
TIPS: It is relatively easy to move between departments once you are inside the organisation. Suggest you apply to any vacancy & advance to the job you really want.

HEALTH SERVICE

The NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme www.nhsgraduates.co.uk recruits students who wish to specialise in general management, financial, informatics or human resource management. There were approximately 12,000 applicants for 2012 entry (compared with the 15,000 for the 2011 intake). There are approximately 150 places for the 2012 entry. The NHS Institute for Leadership and Innovation runs the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme

The ‘What can I do with my degree?’ section  www.whatcanidowithmydegree.nhs.uk is an excellent site, particularly the case studies and is an easy way for students to explore the varied opportunities and career pathways for students of all subjects. Too often, students focus on the NHS graduate schemes, rather than exploring the full range of other management and general career opportunities available and this site guards against this.

"Commercial awareness is increasingly seen as crucial for the functioning of the NHS ...  the new NHS Commercial Operating Model is changing the rules of procurement – and opening doors for the medtech industry."

 

PROFILE: Manager - Health Service

INVOLVES: Strategic planning, Managing hospital services, Managing a team. Financial management of budgets. Introducing service developments. Negotiating & managing contracts. Involving service users (particularly GP's) in decision making process. Property management of buildings. Management of service delivery against annual targets: e.g. chiropody, health visiting, pharmacy services, physiotherapy, dental services, district nursing, breast screening, family planning.
EMPLOYERS: All Health Authorities; all NHS Trusts; NHS Executive, GP Fund holders. Private healthcare organisations e.g. BUPA.
RELATED JOBS: Local Government; Civil Service. Management of any large organisation.
SATISFACTIONS: Using management skills to achieve change & improvements for patients & the population in general; working with a wide range of people with differing skills & abilities. Problem solving & planning. Introducing new developments in healthcare.
NEGATIVES: Very demanding. "Working in an intensely political environment. Overly criticised by an ill-informed press."
SKILLS: written communication, organising, cooperating, initiative, commitment, flexibility & resilience
ADVANCEMENT: NHS management training scheme, direct recruitment to trusts etc. The emphasis is very much on the individual to form their own career path. Opportunities exist within the NHS especially if people are mobile e.g. you can move in from other functions such as nursing.
DEGREE: Any degree but social policy, human resources, strategic planning may be useful. MBA provides a useful theoretical grounding.
TIPS: Successful candidates for the NHS Management Training Scheme are those who have wide range of extra-curricular activities & have demonstrated potential for management. Understand the NHS reforms & history of the NHS.

POLICE, PRISON, FIRE AND PROBATION SERVICES

OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANISATIONS

An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

Committee: a group of people that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

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 Last fully updated 2012