Dear Reader

What a month in Government! Aren’t you glad you aren’t looking to apply to the American Civil Service right now?

Our first Career Conversation with Harry Phinda was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who came. Harry shared his experiences working on some of the government's contentious policy issues and some accurate, practical advice for applying to the civil service.

My favourite answer was when Harry was asked what have you learnt about applying to the civil service?

• It is hard. Being honest about applying is important because persistence is key.
• Persistence: Do not give up; continue to apply. Most people get a role on the 3rd or 4th time of trying.
• Use all the open-source information you can, like Unofficial Guides.
• Ask for help. There are over 500,000 civil servants, and many of them are on LinkedIn. Ask for help. Send a connection request. The worst that can happen is that they don’t reply.

Introducing The Unofficial Blog!

We couldn’t get to all your brilliant questions during the session - but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! We’ll dive into some of those unanswered questions and lots more in upcoming blogs, packed with real experiences, practical advice, and insights to help you navigate your career.

In our first blog, Fiona Reynolds (Deputy Regional Director at the Department of Health and Social Care) shares her journey from public health to pandemic response, the lessons she’s learned, and the advice that’s shaped her career.

📚 Click here to find out more about her journey - The UNOFFICIAL Blog​

February Career Conversation

📅 Date: Tuesday, 13th February
⏰ Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (London time)

🎤 Guest Speaker: Anum Ahmed – Cross-government engagement lead, Children’s Social Care

• Led cross-government efforts to reform children’s social care to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families.
• Head of Youth Engagement for COP26, amplifying voices of young people in the Global South and Global North.
• Senior Project Manager at the Department for Education, managing the £10m Behaviour Hubs Programme.
• Senior Policy Adviser in the Government Equalities Office, leading on LGBT safety policy, hate crime, and domestic abuse policy.

📌 By being on this list, your questions will be prioritised during the session! ​
​🔗 Sign up for this career conversation here: Register now!

Q&A with Nathan and Harry

📅 Date: Tuesday, 13th February

⏰ Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Join Harry and me next month for an open Q&A session where we’ll be answering all your burning questions about the Civil Service. Whether you’re curious about career progression, applications, specialist roles, or anything in between, this is your chance to get honest, practical insights directly from us. If you have a friend, colleague or student who’d find this useful, please share it with them!

🔗 Sign up for our Q&A session here: Register now!

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Thank You for Being Part of Our Community!

February has been a fantastic month, and we have even more in store for you. We are honestly blown away by the over 3000 people who have subscribed to this community.

If you would like more regular content, please feel free to follow me on LinkedIn (as I promised we wouldn't fill your inboxes!) Watch for more guides, career insights, and exclusive events to help you succeed in the Civil Service.

📩 Got questions? Email us at team@unofficialguides.co.uk!

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​Nathan

Founder, Unofficial Civil Service Guide Team