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.

I wouldn't describe the first half of my Civil Service job history as a career, more a means to an end. Until I joined HMRC I had no idea what I wanted from a job and what motivated me, and I expected that to continue for years to come. It was only when I started my first tax compliance role that I quickly learned that I found the job very interesting and that I was good at it; the perfect combination. Without realising it I had developed a lot of the skills and attributes which you need in this type of role from some of my previous jobs; a keen eye for detail, instinctively examining the little things which don't seem quite right, and most importantly, being very, very nosy! What I did learn from my earlier Civil Service career was that if I wanted to reach the more senior grades that nobody was going to carry me on their shoulders to get me there and I needed to seek out my own opportunities to develop my skills and experience. I knew the limitations of my earlier roles in terms of developing my skills and realised I needed to work a variety of roles to gain that wide ranging experience. I moved initially from a wholly admin role to a decision making role and the skills I learned there still stand me in good stead today. I then moved to a junior manager role to gain some valuable leadership experience and improve my confidence. Therefore, my biggest advice would be if you've got a role or career in mind don't be afraid to move around into different roles and different departments. You will be exposed to different types of work and gain wider experience and along the way you may find that perfect combination of interesting work and being good at it too. Once you've found something like that, you know where your career likely lies. Also, ask for career help from those who've been around the block. Seek out a mentor or resources such as this to guide you on your career path and advise you if you feel you need that help.

Once established the keep your options open. The department and Civil Service are vast, work is varied and options are unlimited. Look for opportunities to expand your knowledge, experience and contacts.