Work experience in public service

Work experience is invaluable if you are considering a career in a sector as competitive, unique and diverse as public service. With so many roles and areas to choose from it can help you to identify where your interests lie and pick up transferable skills that will be useful when you come to apply for graduate jobs, whether in public service or not.

What’s available?

The public service covers jobs in the Civil Service, local government, NHS management and the uniformed services. Structured work experience schemes are offered by some organisations, such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Government Economic Service (GES), while others may respond with a oneoff placement to a speculative application.

Some government departments offer sandwich placements for undergraduates and masters students. One- or two-day visits are also available for students, and are designed to provide an insight into their work.

What will I be doing?

It really depends upon which area of the public service you work in. On formal, structured placements students are given real projects with business significance. Shorter work experience stints may involve helping out with small projects and overseeing particular areas of work. Work shadowing will see you following the daily tasks of someone already working to see what they do and how their role fits into the sector as a whole.

What are employers looking for?

An interest in public issues is essential – most workers in this sector are very community minded and driven by more than a generous benefits package. Keep track of developments in the news and issues affecting the public service and attend interviews prepared to share your thoughts and suggestions.

Temping in a local government office or government organisation could provide a possible route in. Local government organisations recruit graduates into all sorts of occupations, so work experience in another industry is always worth mentioning. Teamworking, IT skills, communication and general administrative experience can be picked up in almost any job and are applicable to many roles within the public sector.

The recruiter’s view

According to Colin Bell, recruitment manager at the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, having a successful placement depends upon thorough preparation, clearly focused objectives, a negotiated programme and effective action planning. Candidates should know what they want to achieve before starting a placement and communicate their requirements.

Employers frequently choose proactive candidates that have demonstrated their commitment and abilities in real-life work situations. Students that have gained relevant experience through part-time jobs have the golden opportunity to highlight their experience in application forms and during interviews.