DEC Case Management support Review

My current job title is 'DEC Case Management support', although I have held various roles working on the DEC project since October '15. My daily tasks include maintenance of plans, actions/issues trackers and a CRAIDD (risk register) and my role also includes secretariat work for a board consisting generally of Senior Civil Servants and Senior Leaders, giving me great exposure. I liaise with Senior leaders daily, as well as the rest of my team and many other stakeholders, HMRC wide. On occasion, I will liaise with contractors from external organisations such as CapGemini and Fujitsu, as well as other government departments. Other tasks generally are ad-hoc on request of my management.

I am currently working towards a Level 4 Business Administration qualification consisting of H a HNC & NVQ. This has given me good knowledge of office life and has helped me in developing business documents, communicating and understanding the economic environment we work in. Internally, I have undertaken Advanced Excel training and I am not recognised as an Excel expert in my area of work, which has given me great oppurtunities to do work recognised across my line of business, such as developing new business applications and creating interactive HUBs. I have also completed the online learning for PRINCE2, an industry wide recognised project management qualification. This will allow me to go on the foundation and practitioner courses, subject to financial approval.

I have enjoyed the programme and feel that of everything that I could have done post-Sixth form, this has been the most beneficial. I have gained skills from my qualifications but the majority of the skills I have learnt have come from the opportunity to work on high profile government work with real public interest. I feel that I would not have gained these skills elsewhere and now feel that I can take my skills across government departments and outside of the Civil Service. Having been sceptical about entering the professional world, I now feel a real part of it in a competitive job market.

I feel that my skills and fresh approach to thinking is valued massively, something that has been recognised by my Senior Leadership team. Established civil servants have told me how reassured they are that young talent with new ways of thinking and approaching tasks are coming through these schemes, and they feel that the future of HMRC is in good hands. This goes a long way to making you feel part of the organisation and its future.

I feel that the induction could have been much better. From the moment I was successful in application, I felt that support in the lead up to joining was scarce and once in the department I relied heavily on colleagues to induct me rather than representatives of the scheme. The quality of support from my talent coach has been brilliant. She has my best interest at heart and always ensures I keep up to speed with my apprenticeship tasks to ensure a successful outcome. Mentoring was a problem for me. I was promised one through the scheme, but by the time they had got one for me, I was over a year in to my service and had sought one for myself. My most recent manager has been very supportive with my apprenticeship work. He has been very proactive in helping me get tasks/roles that will help me evidence the NVQ side of my apprenticeship. My progress has sored since he has been my manager.

My talent coach makes herself very visible and will always provide support when requested. As the programme is more learned led, the impetus is on me to complete the work, although when I need support, she is readily available and provides me with sound guidance. I enjoy the relationship I have with my talent coach.

Support from my employer has been great. I have always been encouraged the prioritise my apprenticeship over other work when needed, allowing me to complete work without worrying about my day job. My mentor is brilliant in guiding me in the way of career progress and our mentoring relationship has evolved into a friendship, which makes the mentoring that bit easier. Work related problems are easily resolved through guidance from either intranet artefacts or through management.

My total monthly costs equate to a third of my monthly salary, leaving me with plenty of money to save for the future and also enjoy my life in the now. I now drive, making my life easier ten fold, and in September I will be moving in with my girlfriend. The scheme has given me a platform to move forward in life personally and professionally, which is what I am most grateful for.

I have partaken in various company events, such as representing the apprenticeship scheme at my old college and at Skills London, at ExCel in East London. Through the Revenue & Customs sports and leisure organisation, various sporting and outside of work opportunities have arisen. If it involves representing HMRC in sport, special leave can be granted. There are many opportunities to make a difference on the local community. I went to my old high school to mock interview and provide feedback to year 11 students, who were in their first year whilst I was in my last. It allowed me to make a difference and give something back to a school that gave me so much.

Yes

Yes, and no. I would recommend the scheme and role I am in, as it has given me the opportunities listed above. If someone was to come in to the department in an operational role, working in contact centres etc. I think that their experience may not be as fulfilling as mine.

Research the Civil Service code, values and competencies and incorporate these in to your application. The same goes for interviews, should you make it. These values and competencies are what government departments are looking for. Be confident in the assessment centre. Again, display the values and competencies and interact with others in the way that would be expected of you in the office. Do not worry about experience (or a lack of it). They are not looking to recruit the hottest project manager in the country, they are looking for young talent who have the assets and drive to become that. Use things that may seem irrelevant in your application (Duke of Edinburgh, charity work etc.) as these are all things you will have done that displays competencies. I would have liked to have been told that experience and qualifications are not the be all and end all in the application process. I have decent A Level and GCSE results but by no stretch of the imagination would I have been labelled a 'high achiever' or other such things. I felt dwarfed by the qualifications of some of the other people I attended with on the day, but without blowing my own trumpet, I was the only one who got a job. Do your research, commit time to the application and be confident on the day. Ask questions, be proactive not reactive in interacting with others in the assessment centre.