Terence W.
About me
| Terence W. | |
| Social Policy and Social Work | |
| Public Services Management | |
| Taught Postgraduate | |
| Alcuin | |
| 2004 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Policy Advisor | |
| United Kingdom |
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A day in the life of a Policy Advisor in the United Kingdom
My career goals when I graduated
To find work that I considered to be worthwhile and have the ability to affect people's lives for the better.
My career history
25 years in what is now known as the Department for Work and Pensions and 10 years in the Home Office. I have had a variety of interesting and challenging roles in both departments which is probably why I am still a civil servant!
What has helped my career to progress
There really is no substitute for hard work but sometimes it is down to luck in respect of being in the right place at the right time. Being prepared to take on new challenges has also helped.
Courses taken since graduation
DWP provided the opportunity for staff to study at York part time for an MA in Public Services Management. I also achieved professional Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist qualification as an investigator and a manager accredited by the University of Portsmouth and was validated as an Executive Coach by Oxford Brookes University on behalf of Civil Service Learning (CSL).
How my studies have helped my career
The successful completion of my MA helped me to achieve promotion and was instrumental in assisting me to secure my present role. My professional qualifications helped me to secure posts as both an investigator and later as a manager covering counter fraud activities and my coaching qualification allows me to practice as a coach in addition to my primary role as a policy advisor.
What surprised me about my career so far
That I'm still doing it and enjoying it!
Where I hope to be in 5 years
Hopefully retired in a cottage in the west of Ireland writing the novel I have never quite got round to finishing.
My advice to students considering work
It is never too early to start preparing. Start by thinking about what you really want to do with your life and then think about what careers would provide you with the opportunities to achieve your ambitions.
My advice about working in my industry
Be prepared to be flexible and to continually test yourself with new challenges.
Other advice
Take any advice and help you can get from wherever it might be available and don't be afraid to ask for help particularly from people who may have been there and done it.
Contacting me
I'd be happy to answer questions on any topics but particularly the Civil Service and policy type work. I'd be happy to mentor any student but particularly like working with students who maybe have no connections that might help them into their first job.
What I do
I am a policy advisor in the Home Office working as part of the International and Immigration Policy Group. The work involves drafting government policy specifically around passports and engaging with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. I am also a qualified executive coach with Civil Service Learning (CSL).
Skills I use and how I developed them
The main skill required for my role is the ability to write clearly and concisely on a range of topics and to engage with key stakeholders. I am a member of the Civil Service Policy Profession which provided me with the basic training to fulfill this role and continues to provide ongoing advice around policy issues. For coaching I was required to undertaking a validation process which was administered by Oxford Brookes University on behalf of CSL.
What I like most
I especially enjoy receiving sign off for a piece of policy as this is the culmination of usually a considerable amount of work. I also enjoy seeing coaching clients grow to achieve their objectives and the accompanying endorsement of my coaching activities this brings.
What I like least
Providing policy advice that is not always accepted can be a frustration but is part of the role and I have learned to live with it.
What surprised me most
My current role differed from how I first imagined it would be in that what I write actually becomes government policy albeit after going through a number of iterations.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Terence’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Terence a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Terence to be your mentor.