Making a career change: from editor to county council graduate scheme
After graduating, I started working in publishing as an editorial assistant researching and writing city guides. I then worked my way up to commissioning editor level at a higher education publishing company. After six years in the private sector, I decided to make a career change. I wanted to work in an area where I could make a positive difference to my community, rather than to sales and profit margins.
Getting a grounding in the public sector
To gain some relevant experience, I took a job as a personal assistant at the Adult Mental Health Service in Bromley. I worked closely with service users, managers and highlyregarded professionals as part of a project to make Bromley a more inclusive place to live for people with mental health problems.
I wanted to work in an area where I could make a difference to my community, rather than to sales and profit margins.
I then joined the two-year Kent Graduate Programme. It was a great opportunity to experience different areas of the council and offered a tailored programme of personal development. I was one of six people on the management stream and had two six-month placements: with the children’s centre team (who run 108 children’s centres across Kent) and the Youth Offending Service (where I worked with young people to identify ways to improve the service).
Managing an important partnership project
I left the graduate programme after completing the first year to take up my current role as project officer for Access Kent/Gateways – a scheme that simplifies access to public services and improves customer experiences. I work with colleagues in Kent County Council and the district and borough councils, Medway Council, and the health, fire and rescue and police services. My daily tasks range from building business cases to facilitating communications workshops; keeping in mind that we’re ultimately trying to make things better helps me focus on overcoming challenges. The key to success in my current role is working in partnership, keeping the customer at the centre of what I do and having enthusiasm for change.
Succeeding in local government
There are so many opportunities in local government that all skills are useful. Some of the most important qualities are communication skills to make sure everyone is working towards the same goals, interpersonal skills to help build relationships and project management skills to complete work within a timescale and budget.
My advice is to make the most of any opportunities for work experience. It will stand you in good stead when applying for jobs and give you a chance to find out what roles you are most interested in. Opportunities such as graduate schemes are also a great way to get into the public sector, as they help you to find your niche.
It is important to find a role you feel really passionate about – even if that means making a career change. If you care about something you will work a lot harder to make it happen and will feel much more satisfied with the outcome.
Career milestones
2000–2006 Worked up to commissioning editor level in publishing.
2006 Gained public sector experience at an adult mental health service as a personal assistant.
2008 Joined the Kent County Council graduate programme.
2009 Completed the first year of the programme before leaving early to become project officer for Access Kent/Gateways.
Amie Barker is project officer for Access Kent/Gateway at Kent County Council. She has a BA in English literature from the University of Sheffield (2000).
