How did you get to where you are today? How did you get to where you are today?
"I joined the House of Commons Service through the Civil Service Fast Stream in October 2007, three months after graduating from my Philosophy degree from Birmingham. During my time as a Fast Streamer in the House Service, I worked for a couple of departmental select committees, before spending a year promoting public engagement with Parliament with the Parliamentary Outreach Service. I returned to the Committee Office on promotion in May 2011, and took up my current post in the Table Office—dealing with Parliamentary questions and procedural advice to Members—in October 2011."
How did your degree help develop the skills you needed?
"The earlier stages of the Fast Stream application process test verbal and numerical reasoning. If you can make your way through first year logic classes, then the verbal reasoning section will seem like a walk in the park. The later stages assess candidates across a range of ‘core competencies’, some of which are developed to a very high level during a Philosophy degree. The ability to come up with interesting ideas and express them clearly is valued highly, as is a talent for sifting through reams of waffle and getting straight to the central issue."
How did studying at the University help prepare you for your career?
"I think the time I spent at Birmingham is serving me well. The department expanded rapidly during the time I was there, and by my third year I was able to choose from a wide range of modules. It’s quite a young department, and a lot of the members of staff are very ‘philosophically active’, which is really useful when you come to study the subjects that they’re working on. Even though I’m not pursuing the subject in an academic setting, I do retain an interest."