Insider profil
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Top Insider Advice
My one piece of advice is “Be-Honest” If you require any reasonable adjustments or assistance, “be honest” in your job application. “Be honest” in your training. If you don’t understand something, then speak up. If you need something to be explained again, “be honest” and say you didn’t understand. “Be Honest” with your aspirations, aims, goals for your career, there are many opportunities which may be applicable for you. “Be Honest” with yourself and keep your work/life balance right for you. My experience - I have been honest about my dyslexia. I have received additional help and support throughout my entire HMRC experience. I learnt an enormous amount about myself during "Coping strategy sessions" which allowed me to be more honest with myself and my manager. Finally, don’t be scared to question things.
Career path
Debt Management Complaints manager
HM Revenue and Customs
Started 01/2022 to PresentIndividual and Small Business Compliance Caseworker Manager
HM Revenue and Customs
From 01/2019 to 01/2022Personal Tax Operations Advisor
HM Revenue and Customs
From 06/2017 to 01/2019Company
What do you like about your job and the company?
One of the main motivations is to change my own thinking and my perception of other people thinking that “I am good at my job even though I am dyslexic” to “My dyslexia helps me to be even better at my job”. I have always had a keen eye for noticing things that don’t look right or if something has been changed. Having these skills are very useful when being an investigator and having to appreciate a deep level of detail. I have a strong desire to understand why? Why something has happened? What has caused the result which has led to an error or mistake? Due to my dyslexia, I am a non-linear thinker which allows me to connect the dots that other people don’t see and there-fore solve problems from a different perspective. I really enjoy this role due to the diversity of the cases, as each case expands my knowledge in my area of tax. This allows me to develop and to be able to do a better job.
Greatest achievements
Throughout my life there have been multiple occasions in different context where I have been put into a position of trust. As a young adult I was trusted to run a day’s coaching for over a hundred people. This included managing other coaches, the running of sessions, while considering everyone’s abilities and ensuring everyone had a lunch break. At the time I was one of the youngest coaches within my area. Having this level of experience was new to me and it felt good to be given this level of trust. Due to the success of the day, I was called upon to run this event again for 3 years running. Another achievement is getting to where I am today. When applying for HMRC I thought I would never get the job. I had such a negative relationship with myself and my dyslexia which resulted in me thinking I wasn’t good enough to do “a role like that”. I have since accepted my dyslexia and now know it helps me do my job with a different perspective to others giving HMRC increased diversity of skills and knowledge.
Edward
Complaints Manager-Officer
Top Insider Advice
Always remain positive. Take the plunge once in a while and believe in yourself. Learn what you can from others. If there are any opportunities outside of your comfort zone, rise to the challenge and volunteer. You will surprise yourself, who will release the abilities that you didn’t think you had. Remain positive and focused on your goal. Consider the bigger picture, how does my role fit in within the wider goals of the business and how can you make it a great place to work. In a customer led role like mine, you can really make a difference to people’s lives. You see the negative impacts our mistakes can make and how you can work to ensure that they are not repeated, whilst improving the customer journey and the reputation of the business. You will gain positive feedback and people will look up to you.
Kris
Estates Strategic Planning & Data Modelling lead
Top Insider Advice
If there is one thing in my 20+ years in the civil service I have figured out it is you will never know if you don't try. Early on in my career I would never volunteer for opportunities, I wouldn't offer up answers or contribute to group meetings or working groups and missed the opportunity to apply for roles I would have loved to try my hand at. This was all through the fear of looking stupid or failing and how other people would view me. Not to say I have never failed as I have, be that in job applications or the approach I have taken to work tasks. The biggest thing I will share here is I have learned so much more from failing than I ever have from getting something right first time. The support from my colleagues during these times was surprising, there are so many great people who work across our government departments which fosters a great environment to be part of. Don't forget if you learn or take something way from an experience how can that be seen as a failure. Don't stop trying.