Taking on something new always comes with surprises. We asked colleagues across the UK’s Intelligence Services one question: what’s the one thing you wish you’d known before starting?
“The workforce is genuinely so diverse and I absolutely love it. People from every walk of life work with us and are supported in their career so I encourage absolutely everyone to apply!”
“Working for the Services is nothing like you see on the TV. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. As a new joiner, you’re expected to ask questions and everyone is okay with this. There is no such thing as a silly question. We’re all working towards the same goal, so everyone is happy to help you if you need it.”
“I felt a bit uncomfortable to begin with, but no more than any other new job. Everyone here is very accommodating and they understand that the things we work on, and the way we keep our jobs secret, is very different, so you get time and support to adjust”
“There’s a generous learning budget that we can spend on things like training courses, books, conferences or workshops.”
“It's never easy to feel like you don't know what you're doing but that comes with time, so I just have to remember to go easy on myself. You’re always supported. We definitely don’t expect everyone to know everything straight away.”
“We’re encouraged to spend 10% of our time on learning and development. There’s a whole range of training opportunities available from personal development courses to job specific courses.”
“The variety of work there is here! There’s a whole host of jobs and careers that you will be surprised to find.”
“Never be afraid to put yourself out there and ask questions.”
“There’s all sorts of different wellbeing support. We have a great central wellbeing section, local team wellbeing reps, both physical and mental health first aiders and a huge number of affinity and support groups.”
“The office is a lot more open, friendly and welcoming than films and TV would have you believe. We need people from all different walks of life to ensure we are representative of the country we are trying to protect.”