Stephanie McNaul

Employer: Sunderland City Council
Qualifications: BA politics, Queen's University Belfast, 2004

I completed an internship with the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland as part of my degree, which really opened my eyes to what work in the public sector is like. I decided that local government work was more in tune with my personal characteristics so I joined the local government National Graduate Development Programme (ngdp).

My job

I am currently based in corporate personnel, working on three projects: a case study to reduce staff sickness levels; a project dealing with the procurement of a new HR system; and a project to work out ways of implementing flexible working. Dealing with government regulations is a big part of my job, but since I encounter them on a daily basis, I now do it without realising. I work in a team of nine people and we have a good working relationship. I was made to feel welcome and settled in really quickly.

I attend a national training event every six months to develop the skills I need to be successful and I am also completing a postgraduate diploma in local government management at Warwick Business School as part of the scheme. I hope my next placement will allow me to put my knowledge into practice in a front-line service and see how the council interacts with the local community.

Highs and lows

The main highlight about working for local government is that it is a challenging environment. No two days are the same and it provides great opportunities for personal development. I can also see the direct impact that my work has on the community. You do have to start by believing that you can make a difference but you must also be realistic and accept the bureaucracy that comes with the job.