Insider profil
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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.
Career path
Complaints Manager-Officer
HM Revenue and Customs
Started 06/2008 to PresentCompany
What do you like about your job and the company?
I am proud to be a civil servant. I have received excellent training and from the experience I have gained, I have been able to use it to help others. I am encouraged to take an active role in my development, which allows me to take full control of progression opportunities. We have a culture in HMRC that it is an excellent place to work, it certainly is. Plenty of extra voluntary duties are available to aid in my development. I have helped other business areas in ways too. This has included being an independent on an interview panel. I have also trained new team members onto the team. It’s good to see how my work impacts on the business as a whole. One of HMRC's goals is to be the best provider of customer service, I love that my role reflects this and plays a huge part. I am proud to make a difference to the customer journey, working towards HMRC's ultimate goal of providing the best customer service.
Greatest achievements
In a bid to make efficiency savings, I took part in trail of how we can support customers who need extra support in dealing with their tax affairs. The trial was all about the customer and how we can improve the customer journey while at the same time reducing costs. A whole new way of working was devised. Instead of customer appointments in an enquiry centre, mobile advisers would assist customers who needed extra support to get their tax affairs in order. This would mean meeting customers in the community and even at their home address. Some were digitally excluded, and I would make use of technology, taking an iPad for example to help them file a tax return. I would liaise with other teams where required to ensure all the customers enquires were dealt with in full.
Sandra
Tax Investigator
Top Insider Advice
I've been a Civil Servant for 34 years, starting as an AO in what was DHSS, processing benefit claims. This was a real baptism of fire, dealing with desperate people and desperate situations and exposed me to parts of the population that were a long way from my life. I learned good people skills from this and a real focus on how important good customer service is-doing what you say you will and still having to deliver even when things are difficult or unpopular. This gave me a good grounding for moving onto National Insurance in a compliance role for business and individuals. HMRC merged in 1999 with NI and that was the start of my accidental career. I'm proud to have worked my way up from the bottom as I believe it made me who I am. Whilst no against direct entrance programmes, gaining experience within different grades and roles creates a rounded person.
Pat .
Recruitment Marketing Advisor
Top Insider Advice
Your job is a way of making money to do things that you want to do with your life. But there are plenty of jobs out there that can also make you happy.
Prudencia O
Top Insider Advice
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for support. No one succeeds alone. Join support networks, find a coach, mentor or sponsor. Get as much help as you can! 2. Step outside your comfort zone and take on new challenges, even if they are a bit scary! Growth doesn’t happen in familiar spaces. Take on challenges that stretch you, that make you uncomfortable and ultimately lead to new skills and greater confidence. 3. Make things happen – look for sideways moves to develop your skills, not just promotions. Think about development programmes. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you, seek them out, take the initiative and be ready to step up when the moment comes. If you don’t make it happen, nobody will! 4. Resilience is essential. There’ll be lots of disappointments on your journey and times when you wonder whether it’s worth it. I can tell you without a doubt, it is. Keep trying, keep pushing. Remember, every obstacle is an opportunity to rise. Each setback is a chance to grow stronger and to learn something new, and every step you take brings you closer to the top of the ladder. 5. When you succeed in life or in your career, celebrate but also acknowledge that you didn’t do it alone. Nobody does! Above all, don’t pull the ladder up after you! Reach out and help others climb.
