I think the best part of my job is definitely when you know that you’ve made an important difference to something.
I am currently working in The Home Office. I’ve worked there for the past two years now, since I joined the Fast Stream, and I’ve spent all that time in Immigration, although I’ve had a few short secondments out of Immigration to do stuff within the core Home Office. I think the best part of my job is definitely when you know that you’ve made an important difference to something.
When I first joined the Civil Service, I think the reason, the prime reason why I thought this Graduate Scheme would be for me was because I saw peoples’ profiles who’d been on the Fast Stream and I saw that they actually work on issues that really matter and it wasn’t just something that you’d be working on and making money for someone else. I think you’re really making an impact on peoples’ lives.
I think when I dealt with an Immigration Bill and worked on some provisions within that, which I know will make a difference to asylum support and that sort of thing. I really do feel like I’ve made a difference within the two years I’ve been here and I look forward to having a long career where I can make an even bigger difference as I go on and build my own experience and skills.
When I joined, I didn’t expect to be given this much experience, such a broad experience first of all, because I’ve been able to move around different posts quite regularly and get a very broad experience in that sense. There hasn’t been one particular job where I’ve just been doing one thing for a year or anything like that. I’ve really felt pushed and challenged all the time, which has been excellent, because I feel like there hasn’t been any time that’s been wasted with this two years.
But I also never expected, I don’t think, to have this degree of responsibility as well. I never expected that within the first few months of my being on the Fast Stream I’d be briefing an Immigration Minister before he went into Parliament on the Bill, and the provisions within the Bill. I think it’s a real buzz to be able to be involved in something so important at such a young age and so early on in your career.
I think that everyone who joined the Fast Stream shares that view.