Jack Davis

After graduating with a BA Military History degree in 2019, Jack Davis found employment within the Civil Service. Initially he joined The National Archives and more recently he transferred to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. 

In January 2024, he decided to take a career break and has been catching up on travel plans postponed due to the pandemic. Since then he has been to Vietnam, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Tell us about your career path since graduation.

I've had a bit of an eclectic start to my career after graduating. My first job after university was in a marketing department for an online travel agency which I left a few months in as I was due to begin work as a trip leader for a tour operator. However, the training was supposed to begin in March of 2020 and with COVID-19, that opportunity had to end. I then began working for an autonomous vehicle startup, building experience in remote management before transitioning to working for the Civil Service.

My first role in the Civil Service was at The National Archives, working as an Access Service Advisor for the MOD Personnel Access Service Team. I was involved in providing access under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to service records of soldiers that were being transferred from the Ministry of Defence. I was promoted to an Access Case Officer, dealing with more sensitive records.

After almost two years at The National Archives, I transferred to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, joining the Humanitarian Response Group which is responsible for coordinating the early stages of the FCDO’s response to humanitarian crises around the world. I was responsible for managing FCDO programmes to enable the deployment of humanitarian expertise into areas of need. I also lead on managing the FCDO’s humanitarian relationship with the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). 

However, in January 2024, I decided to take a career break to travel. I had wanted to travel long-term for some years now and recognised that there is never really an easy time to quit a job and leave the UK, and so I might as well do it while I’m still young!

I have been to Vietnam, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Malaysia. It’s been an amazing adventure so far, filled with beautiful landscapes, great food, but also moments of real challenge and growth. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone and has really taught me to embrace uncertainty.  Recently, I have been feeling the pull to come back to the UK and surround myself in some semblance of normality, so we will see how much longer I’ll be living out of a backpack.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

My days at the FCDO were incredibly varied and depended on what was happening in the world at any given time. I was working in a team that responded to humanitarian crises, so if one was happening, I would be working as part of the initial UK response.

My role saw me responsible for overseeing our capability for deploying humanitarian experts into FCDO or UN teams, but in a crisis I would also be inputting into ministerial briefs, helping set up new programmes with international partners, and whatever else was required. 

Outside of crises, I would provide support and advice for FCDO teams looking for humanitarian expertise and managed my team’s relationship with our counterparts in the Australian government.

There was no real typical work day! 

Can you share a professional highlight from your career so far?

I led on refreshing the Humanitarian Partnership Arrangement between the FCDO and DFAT. This arrangement informally sets out a commitment to work together on humanitarian responses, providing aid on one another’s behalf and sharing information. This was my first experience of working internationally and I found it to be very rewarding.

To know that my work has resulted in a closer working relationship between the UK and Australia is something I am very proud of. 

How did your time at Kent help you achieve your current career?

The things you don’t really consider – like being able to write essays and give presentations – has proven to be important throughout my career. I can easily explain complex topics to a wide range of audiences with confidence. I still sometimes think of chairing meetings like giving a presentation in a seminar! 

What advice would you give to our current/prospective students who are looking to get into the same line of work?

Take your time! There’s no need to rush. This is something that I have really begun to appreciate since taking some time out of work. COVID prevented me from taking time out of education and work, and this really impacted my enjoyment of jobs that would otherwise have brought me a great deal of fulfilment.

Learn to work to live and not the other way around. The experiences you gain outside of work are just as important as your professional ones.

In terms of wanting to get into the civil service - learn the civil service behaviours. Once you have them down, it’s much easier. It’s like learning a whole new language but it’s worth it. Keep up to date with current affairs and recognise that there’s so much scope within the civil service to do interesting things.

Do you have a favourite memory from your time at Kent?

There’s too many to choose from! But if I had to choose one, it would be the Military History Society’s battlefield trip to Normandy in 2018. As Vice-President, I helped plan and run the trip, and look back really fondly on that time.

Are you still in touch with other Kent alumni or academics?

I am! Many of my close friends are those I met at Kent, and I was lucky enough to meet one of them when I was travelling in Nepal!

What are your future ambitions?

I’m beginning to look forward to a bit of normality after a period of travel, so I’m hoping to get into a job that brings me happiness. Working to really make a positive impact in people’s lives and help reduce suffering in the world is a real aspiration of mine. So finding any job that can help me do that is my ambition!