At Unofficial Guides, we believe everyone deserves a fair shot at success, no matter their background. That’s why we’re committed to demystifying complex career landscapes, shedding light on how different industries work, what opportunities exist, and how to confidently take the next step. 📩 Want to stay updated? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content, early access, and career insights.
Your May Unofficial Civil Service Update! Diplomacy, interview with a Director General, and a feature in Civil Service World
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Dear Reader Has anyone else downloaded Tariffs for Dummies this month? With trade policies making headlines again, it's no surprise that many are seeking clarity on the topic. For a deeper dive into the complexities of tariffs and their potential implications, check out this episode of Diary of a CEO by Stephen Bartlett! Career Conversation with Justin Russell, Director General
Date: 13th May Time: 6 pm Bio: Justin Russell is an incredible Civil Service leader with over 30 years’ experience across four departments. Since joining the government in 1987, he has held senior posts in the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, No 10 and DWP. In recent years, he’s served as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation before becoming Director General of the Families Group at the Department for Education in October 2023. Across these roles, he’s driven major justice reforms and led the Families First Partnership Programme, children’s social care reform and the most significant expansion of childcare for working families. On top of that, I’ve seen first-hand how committed Justin is to advocating for greater diversity and inclusion within the Civil Service - using his position to support and learn from underrepresented voices. So, if you’re interested in learning leadership or what it takes to make it to the top of the Civil Service, this is the session for you!
Career Conversation with Gaby de Serville, Senior Project Manager
Date: 28th May Time: 6 pm Bio: Gaby de Serville is a brilliant Project Delivery professional with over 10 years' experience leading large, complex transformational change projects, programmes, and portfolios across government. Throughout her Civil Service career, she’s worked in multiple departments, partnering with a wide range of stakeholders - something that’s been central to her success and rapid progression in project delivery. Alongside her delivery expertise, Gaby’s known for her resilience, adaptability, and her ability to champion the benefits of change - even in the most challenging environments. She’s also passionate about nurturing talent, supporting multiple recruitment campaigns and helping many new starters find their feet in the Civil Service. If you’re interested in thriving in project delivery, managing change like a pro, or just learning from someone who’s been there and done it, this is the session for you!
April Recap: Workshops, Career Conversations and Civil Service World!Diplomacy 101 with Jen Upton Jen Upton, a former UK Foreign Office diplomat, shared her journey in an utterly candid session for over 100 attendees. Her stories of grit, cultural insight, and strategic flexibility struck a chord, highlighting how vital resilience and pragmatism are to public service. This was, without question, our best session yet! I can only speak for myself, but I left feeling inspired, energised, and better equipped to deal with challenges and crossroads in my career. Our big three takeaways from the session were:
Missed the session and want to find out more? Click the button below to read the session summary!
Workshop: Introductions to Applications Our latest Application Workshop was about cutting through the fluff and getting your civil service application spot on. We tackled real examples, shared game-changing tips, and reminded everyone that their story matters- it just needs the right framing. Missed it? Don’t worry - we’ve pulled together all the highlights in a handy blog post.
We’re in Civil Service World! I recently wrote about Unofficial Guides in Civil Service World, the UK’s go-to publication for civil service professionals. In the piece, I discussed the invisible barriers that so many applicants face: insider knowledge, unwritten rules, and unclear expectations. We also shared why we started Unofficial Guides: to demystify the process and ensure that no one is left behind just because they don’t know “how the game is played.”
Civil Servant Spotlight: Carole Lovstrom MBE Carole is one of the most inspiring civil servants I've met - her journey from a council estate to Head of Ministerial Affairs at DfT shows what's possible. Through her tireless work on social mobility and creating work experience opportunities, she's helped countless people access the Civil Service. Want to learn more about making a difference in your role? You can read more on her blog post!
Interesting Job HighlightDiary Manager, Ministerial Private Office - DWP (Deadline 16th May) Ever wondered what it’s like working directly with a Minister? The Department for Work and Pensions is hiring a Diary Manager to join a Minister's Private Office. This is a great opportunity to work closely with Ministers, Special Advisers, and Senior Civil Servants and get exclusive insight into how government decisions are made. If you're organised, resilient, and politically aware, this might be the perfect job for you!
Want to shape the future of culture and tech? The Department for Culture, Media and Sport are hiring AI Policy Advisors to help shape how artificial intelligence is adopted across the UK’s world-leading creative and cultural sectors, including film, TV, gaming, and the arts. This role is perfect for someone interested in culture, technology, policy and the opportunity to work on one of the biggest.
Thank You for Being Part of Our Community!We’re building The Unofficial Guides to help people. It’s that simple. When we’re tired, overwhelmed, or out of our depth, your feedback keeps us going. We receive so many kind messages, but this only stopped us in our tracks: “I have now secured a role as a lawyer in local government. I just wanted to thank you for all the work you are doing. I’ve tagged you in my post to guide people to your network. My son is due to graduate this year and is considering the Civil Service - I’ve shared your details with him. The work you and Nathan are doing is truly wonderful!” We see you. We’re rooting for you. And we’re just getting started. If you have any feedback on an event you attended or on one of the guides, we would really appreciate it if you could spare a few minutes to give it to help us improve our sessions and resources.
Here’s to another month of growth and opportunities! See you soon,
Nathan White |
UNOFFICIAL GUIDES
At Unofficial Guides, we believe everyone deserves a fair shot at success, no matter their background. That’s why we’re committed to demystifying complex career landscapes, shedding light on how different industries work, what opportunities exist, and how to confidently take the next step. 📩 Want to stay updated? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content, early access, and career insights.