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Could 'helping people' be what you are searching for to achieve job satisfaction?  Graduate trainee Matthew Genner and myself, Kirsty Russell, share our views on working within the Public Sector:

'Sat across the table from me Joanne started to talk passionately about the frustrations she has faced since seeking asylum in the UK around seven years ago. Joanne is a fully trained and highly skilled midwife. Having fled persecution in her country of birth, she wished to become a midwife in the UK. However, due to the laws governing asylum seekers she wasn’t allowed to work until she was granted the right to remain, a process which can take years. Once she moved from seeking asylum to becoming a refugee, Joanne once again tried to get a job as a midwife. This time another problem arose. Joanne had been out of work for too long and was told that she would have to go back and re-train from scratch. Not a refresher course designed to allow refugees to transfer their skills and apply them effectively in the UK, but instead three years of fulltime training teaching Joanne what she already knew. With no money this was not an option. Joanne had missed out on a career which she loved and Sandwell had missed out on utilising the skills of one of its residents in an area where there is a shortage of workers.

Listening to Joanne and hearing stories of others like her brought to life some of the problems facing refugees; a human face to an often misrepresented group of people. Monday mornings aren’t supposed to be this interesting but working in local government has provided me with many opportunities to meet people from a range of backgrounds, to listen to their problems and then work as part of a team to help solve them. I was listening to Joanne at a conference hosted by the Scrutiny Unit at Sandwell MBC who are currently carrying out a review looking into the services provided to refugees and how they can be improved.

For the past few months I have been helping officers to organise the event and it was rewarding to see around 50 people engaged in such important and stimulating discussions. The final recommendations of the review will be published later in the year and will allow the borough to significantly improve the services provided for refugees, helping them to flourish in the difficult situations which they face. Although I have played a very small role in what will be a thorough and complex review it’s been rewarding work in which I have learnt a lot.

When I left university last year I had little idea of where to go. The variety of work which I have been able to witness taking place in local government and the numerous projects to which I have been able to contribute has now given me a better idea of what I want to do. Local government may have a reputation of red tape, men in grey suits and a life of being stuck behind a desk but I’ve found it to be a stimulating, varied and, whisper it quietly, exciting environment. I have also met many friendly and inspirational characters who will go out of their way to help others. If you’re a graduate and want something more rewarding than a company car and bonus at the end of the year then local government is a fantastic place to start looking.'

'Being on a graduate placement within KCC, I have to agree with the post above.  I know with confidence that the work I am doing on the Innovations Team is slowly, but surely, changing the way that the organisation runs and the services that we provide to members of the public.  It's extremely satisfying to know that my psychology background is directly useful in regards with our bid on anti social behaviour, that the gaming student we are working with could potentially design a successful game which changes people's recycling behaviour, and that by maintaining and editing this blog, I can help to inspire and bring together different people within Kent and beyond who are interested in 'innovation'. I am extremely proud to work for an organisation that puts its customers' wellbeing first, and with staff who are not only friendly and helpful, but have my career development in their best interests. So if you are interested in putting your degree to work and passionate about helping people, then you should seriously consider working in the public sector.'

- Kirsty Russell


- A special thank you to Matthew Genner, Graduate Trainee for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.

Picture: A black and white photo taken from a low angle showing a woman dressed in graduate robs throwing her graduation cap into the air with thanks to -Weng- for publishing on Flickr under a Creative Commons license some rights reserved.

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More Articles • Everyone Has A Story To Tell • Could you be the next apprentice? • Getting Young People Skilled Up

Want high levels of job satisfaction?

Most people have seen the hit TV series, The Apprentice. Well Robert Bromley is an apprentice within our team and wishes to share his journey so far and invaluable advice to all those who are unsure of what step to take next on the career path.

'After finishing my GCSE’s I had to make a decision that would change my life completely, a decision that thousands of young people around the world have to make each and every year. I had to choose what to do next, how to go about it and who to contact to do it.

Unsure of the options I began my search. I instantly thought about A-Levels and college, I knew that neither of them were right for me but the only other option (or so I believed) was to go and find a job that would most probably be very hard repetitive work for very little money.

I searched high and low for an option that involved working as well as gaining qualifications. Just as I was about to give up, I received a letter from my local Connexions about an opportunity called the “Kent Success Apprenticeship Scheme”. It involved working 5 days a week but also completing an NVQ Level 2 in 'Business and Administration'.

I sent in an application form and within a week I had been invited to an interview for the next day. The interview went really well and the Kent Success team were very kind and welcoming. They explained that I had got through the interviewing stage and that they would now try and find me a position within the KCC for a year. They told me that the process may take several weeks to several months but to be patient and a position will arise.

After only 2 days I received a phone call telling me that the Technology, Research and Transformation Team would like to interview me for a position, and if it went well, I could start as early as one month away. I was so excited that the interview date came in no time and I was offered the position to start on January 6th, I gratefully accepted.

My first day came around quickly and I was really nervous. I hadn’t done anything in almost two months and was now going back to the early starts and late finishes. Thankfully, everyone made me feel at home and I was shown the routine tasks I would be asked to do daily. The main tasks were sorting out the post, photocopying, making phone calls on behalf of various people and answering the phones for various people. Once I had learnt the phone shortcuts I was set loose and given normal work as if I had already been there for several weeks. This really helped as it showed that just because someone is on the Apprenticeship Scheme they are not treated differently from the other staff in any way.

After a couple of weeks I was introduced to my NVQ assessor. She told me that I would have to complete five units throughout my NVQ; two of them compulsory and the other three would be my choice. She also told me that I would have to pass two general office exams, and she arranged some dates for us to have our reviews.

I am now 10 months through the Apprenticeship Scheme and have become good friends with several people in the office. I have been offered a permanent position to start when my NVQ ends. Since starting I have never looked back. I now have a promising career in front of me as well as an extra qualification, and therefore would recommend the Apprenticeship Scheme to anyone leaving school.'

If you would like some more information on the apprenticeship scheme, you can find it here or by emailing info@kentapprenticeships.com

Remember: Your future is in your hands.

Picture: Sir Alan Sugar, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford, with thanks to Goatee for publishing on Flickr under a Creative Commons license some rights reserved.

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