My name is Tom, and I work as a strategy officer in the government’s Ministry of Justice, as part of the Civil Service Fast stream. Here I am, outside the Victoria rooms in August 2023, graduating with a degree in chemistry.
This day was marked with smiles in the pictures, but a heavy heart. I was sad to be leaving behind my university years and making the step into the world of work.
I made the most of my time at Bristol. Of course, much of it was spent sweating over pages of benzene rings for Professor Aggarwal’s organic chemistry modules, in the eaves of Wills library. But when I wasn’t, you could find me on a run through Ashton Court, or playing some pool in Redland’s The Clyde. On Tuesday evenings I would jump on my bike and freewheel down Stoke Bishop hill to Coombe Dingle hockey pitches, blowing into my clasped hands to keep the circulation going, ensuring I could still hold a hockey stick when I got there. Sunday was my favourite evening of all: Scottish ceilidh dancing in Bristol’s SU.
I was always fascinated by politics, and whether or not a particular minister had made the right policy decision. However, to me, this interest didn’t extend beyond tuning in to a weekly podcast, or the occasional catch-up with friends with an interesting discussion of the Liz Truss budget, or Brexit. In my third year, I thought that being a consultant would be the route for me.
But, I had heard of the slightly mysterious: Civil Service Fast Stream. A friend encouraged me to apply, but I assumed that with a mere chemistry degree, I had little chance of getting in, ahead of a politics, geography or economics student.
Given I was sure of rejection, I experienced some kind of life trajectory whiplash when I was offered a place, changed course, and accepted.
My first 14 months in the working world have been fascinating, stimulating and challenging. The Civil Service Fast Stream lasts 3 or 4 years, and you are placed in 1-year postings in different government departments. I am a ‘generalist’ fast streamer, which is now known as a ‘government policy’, but there are loads of other schemes; economist, science and engineering, diplomacy, commercial and digital, to name a few.
My first posting was to Defra, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I was working as a policy advisor on farm animal welfare, which meant travelling across the country, visiting a range of poultry, pig (pictured), salmon and dairy farms. I met ministers, lobbyists and farmers, making a bunch of friends along the way
My experience of civil servants has been that they are sharp, ambitious, charming people, driven by a desire to make the country a better place. This, along with the fact that you can make a real difference, makes the civil service an inspiring place to work.
The benefit of the fast stream, which many of you reading this may know, is that you are dropped into a high-priority, interesting role, which you may not have ever considered. This could be; vaccine policy for the Department of Health, university funding models for the Department for Education, underwater noise pollution at Defra, or security at the Ministry of Defence. At the end of your 3 or 4 years, you progress into a managerial role in the department and team of your choosing, having been exposed to lots of different experiences.
My advice is apply for a range of roles in different industries and keep your options open. You may stumble into a position you love! If you like the look of the fast stream, but it does not work out, I would also encourage you to look at other positions in the civil service, especially if you are interested in a particular policy area, such as biodiversity, international trade, education or national security. There is plenty of scope to move around and see what you enjoy!
Applications for the civil service fast stream open in October.
Other roles in the civil service can be found on the Civil Service website.