Joe C.
About me
| Joe C. | |
| Politics, Economics and Philosophy | |
| Economics and Politics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Vanbrugh | |
| 2009 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Policy Officer | |
| Scottish Information Commissioner | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Government and civil service |
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A day in the life of a Policy Officer in the United Kingdom
It took a long time after graduating to work out what I really wanted to do, with a few twists and turns, but all the time using the knowledge and skills I developed at university.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
The Scottish Information Commissioner, a public-sector body responsible for regulating freedom of information (FOI) law in Scotland, and for promoting people's right to access information from Scottish public authorities.
What do you do?
My job involves a combination of project work, communications and advocacy, and routine administrative duties. For example, my team is planning to replace the organisation's website, so we're working out who uses it, what they use it for and how we can make it easier for them; I'm also revising the current website to meet new standards of accessibility particularly for people with disabilities. We're also looking to improve our social media activity as well as to engage more proactively with specific community groups who would benefit from greater awareness of their information rights - that involves holding meetings and giving presentations all around Scotland. Meanwhile, I work with people at other organisations to monitor their compliance with the law and set targets for improvements, and I also answer several queries a week relating to the laws we enforce and the rights people have, and respond to formal requests for information that are made by other organisations, journalists and members of the public. Overall the job requires good communication skills, attention to detail, knowledge of the law, juggling several areas of work and meeting deadlines, and using a lot of individual initiative as well as working together with many other people.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
It took a long time after graduating to work out what I really wanted to do, with a few twists and turns, but all the time using the knowledge and skills I developed at university. I entered a graduate scheme in accountancy and audit after graduation, which I thought was a good fit for my degree, but it wasn't right and after dropping out and being unemployed for a short time, I moved back in with my mum and dad while I worked out where to go next. After being a small part of a very large project team, I realised I wanted to be a bigger part of a small team, so went looking for project roles and happened to find one that was related to managing information, which is a bit of a 'niche' area but also essential to any kind of organisation. I've found that it suits my skills and personality and is something I care about but I would never have thought of it before starting out. I reached the stage where to progress further required a postgraduate qualification, which I'm currently working towards part-time alongside work. Being successful in applying for my current job was largely down to being able to draw on a wide range of work and personal experiences and skills - different types of jobs and organisations, successes and failures, use of strengths and awareness of weaknesses - rather than following a simple straight path, which is how we all think our careers will pan out when we're in education.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
No - I've always known I wanted to work in the public sector, and the one job I've had in a commercial organisation confirmed to me that I was much more motivated by working for a public benefit rather than profit. I've also gone from starting as an auditor to working for a regulator, so although I've done many different things along the way I suppose I've come almost full circle!
Describe your most memorable day at work
A memorable day for me was a presentation at a conference where I talked about what I'd been working on for most of the previous 3 years. Preparing for the presentation gave me a really good chance to stop and think and reflect and feel proud about what I had achieved, rather than being focused solely on the particular day-to-day challenges of work at the time. Having applied to be given the opportunity to speak, being accepted also meant that someone independent from me and my organisation thought that I had something worth listening to which was a compliment and a confidence boost - so I was glad that I had asked, especially as I would normally be too shy! And the experience of sharing my knowledge with people in similar jobs at other organisations was really enjoyable - I was surprised how interested people were in my work story and how much people who were more experienced than me said they learnt from what I had done. It inspired me to get involved as a volunteer with a professional association, which had really benefited me when I was starting out in the sector and I'm now quite passionate about being able to return the favour and help others share their knowledge.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
It's a very small organisation with a limited budget so there are always lots of things that we want to do that we're unable to because it would take up too much time or money, and we have to prioritise and focus our efforts. The technology the organisation has is slightly outdated, so some processes are quite time-consuming and it would be nice if the work could be more efficient and flexible (especially during the pandemic).
What’s your work environment and culture like?
Being a small organisation means there's a really good relationship between all of the staff and a relaxed, casual atmosphere in the office. We all work in a single building, which is completely different to most jobs I've had, and there's a nice amount of chat between my team in our room - I much prefer that to sitting on my own, even though people see having their own office as an ambition and a status symbol! We have a reasonable number of meetings between different groups of people in the organisation - meetings have a bad reputation but they are really effective at getting things done collaboratively and keeping people on track, rather than lots of emails and copies of documents being sent around. There's a good amount of flexibility in terms of which hours of the day we can work, and a good holiday entitlement - those things are common in all public sector organisations and reflect positive values like the importance of a work-life balance.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I played a lot of pool for my college (Vanbrugh) in a league against the other colleges, including being the college team captain in my third year, where I made a lot of friends doing a whole range of different courses who I wouldn't otherwise have met. I was part of the York Union debating group and wrote for the Nouse newspaper, although I didn't enjoy those as much, especially as each had a close-knit core group of enthusiasts. I also went on a lot of Sunday walks with the Outdoor Society, which was a great way to see a lot of the beautiful areas around York, meet more different people and get away from study for a day. In my third year this was replaced with doing part-time work in an MP's office for a day each week, which had the same effect and was good prep for life after uni! Although I didn't do them at the time, I would also recommend doing fundraising or volunteering work for good causes at the university or in the city.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I want to carry on doing what I'm doing for the foreseeable future - I'm lucky to have a permanent contract, for the first time, and I enjoy my job and the place I work and the people I work with. That's not always been the case so I want to make the most of it!
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
When I was at school (particularly) and university, there was so much pressure on choices, and a sense that I was supposed to know exactly what I wanted to do. It's far more likely that you don't - even if you think you do. It's also not necessarily going to be a smooth or easy 'journey'. Sometimes you have to make choices that mean you don't do what you really want to do or saw yourself doing, but which are the best way of getting there. Above all, keep everything in perspective - your life situation and your happiness are far more important than meeting your own or others' perceptions of "success".
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Ask me anything!
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