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Advisory services manager, DWP: Celine

This Case Study belongs to Civil service fast streamer.

Celine graduated from Northumbria University with a 1st class degree in history in 2003 and started as a Civil Service fast streamer working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in February 2006.

During her time at school and university she held a number of part-time jobs including waitressing, taking inbound calls at a mortgage call centre and as a weekend supervisor in a clothes store. After graduating she took a clerical post in the Employment Tribunal Service which gave her an excellent opportunity to learn the realities of office working and gain operational civil service experience while deciding what to do next.

Celine says, ‘The application process for the Fast Stream is long and challenging. You can apply either externally, with a 2:2 degree or above, or as an in-service candidate with two years' service. The external process consists of an online application, online tests (verbal reasoning and maths), an e-tray exercise at a local test centre and a day-long assessment centre exercise in London. The e-tray exercise and assessment centre are designed to measure a range of competencies including your drive for results and teamworking skills.

With DWP being such a large department, Celine has been able to get a wide range of experiences, from her current position managing a local Jobcentre to working in strategic planning in the Child Maintenance Redesign Programme. She says, ‘As well as experiencing a range of postings you also get 15-20 days a year for personal development training. I am currently using these days to complete an MBA part-time at Newcastle University which the department is supporting.’

Celine says she enjoys the variety she gets on the scheme, ‘So far I have worked on HR policy in the Pension Service, strategic planning for the Child Maintenance Redesign Programme, been policy adviser for the Government Office for the North East, and advisory services manager for Jobcentre Plus. Moving posts so regularly means you never get the chance to get bored in your role but it also means you never get to stay in your comfort zone which can be a little unsettling. At the end of the day you know that these experiences are providing you with a diverse range of skills and experience to prepare you for your future career.’

Case Study sourced by Katja Linssen of Newcastle University, 30 December 2008.