A look back at Government and Policy Week

Take a look back at this year's Government and Policy Themed Week.

Introduction

The themed week began with an introductory talk discussing the government and policy sector. It could involve working in the parliament, government departments, local and national charities, local authorities, executive agencies, think tanks, NGOs, universities, and consultancies. Therefore, researching and getting involved with as many opportunities as possible to find what you would enjoy the most is key. We also discussed working in public policy, which is the process by which governments make decisions and create impact. Even large private organisations now hire policy professionals to work with them and liaise between the organisation and the government. From the experience of our speakers, the key skills students should be able to demonstrate well are research, data analysis, critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration to excel in this sector. It is encouraged to seek out events and opportunities that would allow to develop these skills, networks, and experiences, such as by volunteering or applying for internships.

Working in the Heart of Government

Following a successful introduction to the week of events, the Working in the Heart of Government panel event hosted five civil servants from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including Fast Streamers, Executive, and Senior Executive Officers. Panellists spoke of their experiences of working across different departments including DEFRA, DCMS, Programme Management, Strategy and Oversight. The session focussed on the day to day work our panellists are involved in, the pathways they took in joining the Civil Service, and what they wish they’d known whilst at university. Within their individual roles, every day is different but some of the responsibilities included conducting desk research, meeting stakeholders, writing policy briefs, and identifying risks. Our panellists highlighted some key skills for a successful career working in the heart of Government including working together, stakeholder management and expectations, ability to prioritise workload, written and verbal communication skills, relationship building, political awareness, and seeing the bigger picture of how your work fits into areas outside of Government.

Application Success with the Civil Service Fast Stream 

Next, we invited 4 alumni from the Civil Service Fast Stream to discuss their experience of the Fast Stream application process. Each speaker led on a different stage of the application, describing in detail the process and suggestion helpful tips on what students need to do to achieve application success. A common theme throughout the panel was the importance of practicing and preparation. Each panellist shared stories/hints from their own involvement such as doing practice online assessments, attending as many assessment centres as possible, practicing interview questions and attending events with UCL Careers. 

Working in Think Tanks

Finally, the event Working in Think Tanks kicked off with a presentation from a researcher for the Institute for Government about the basics such as how they: identify problems, suggest solutions to problems and try to persuade others to adopt solutions. We also learnt that think tanks offer a wide range of career options and we were signposted to where jobs are often posted. We were then excited to meet some UCL alumni currently working in think tanks Chatham House, IIED, Institute of Development Studies and CEPR. As they are often grant-funded, then you probably won’t get rich working for a think tank! But often the benefits of working in this sector is the opportunity to collaborate with a range of external organisations – both small and large – and being able to ‘make a difference’. Since you might work as part of a small team, you might find you will have to work on your own initiative – so highlighting the key practical skills from your degree is equally as important as the knowledge you may have gained.

Miss any of the events?

To watch a recording of these events, please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/resources/slides/themed-weeks/government)