Virtual event
Confessions & Career Lessons from a Senior Civil Servant
Exclusively for public servants and policymakers
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025
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Speakers
What to do next
- Catch up on the 6-minute highlights above, or dive into the full recording
- Join the Career Development Community
- Check out our upcoming event How to Experiment with AI in Government
Resources
Join the Career Development in Government Community
The Career Development Community is a space to explore how to navigate, grow, and thrive in your public service career.
Event Description
Navigating a career in government means working within a vast, complex system shaped by long-standing structures, shifting priorities and countless moving parts. Whether you’re new to government or stepping into a new role, success often depends on more than technical skills — many of the most valuable lessons are only learned through experience, years into the job.
In this quick-fire session, an experienced public servant will share the advice and lessons they wish they’d received earlier. We’ll cover the ground that formal training often misses — the day-to-day wisdom that helps you work more effectively, build better relationships and stay energised in a demanding environment.
Whether you work in a central department, local authority or public body, this session is designed to help you avoid common pitfalls, sharpen your instincts and thrive at any stage of your government career.
Interested in how Apolitical can support you and your organisation? Learn about collaborating with us.
Image Credit: Pexels
Speakers
Neil Bouwer
Professor of Practice at the Max Bell School and the former Vice-President of the Innovation and Skills Development Branch at the Canada School of Public Service
Canada
Neil Bouwer, is a Professor of Practice at the Max Bell School and the former Vice-President of the Innovation and Skills Development Branch at the Canada School of Public Service. He has also served as an Assistant Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the Privy Council Office of Canada; and in executive positions at the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada. He has also worked at the Department of Finance and Western Economic Diversification Canada, and has Economics degrees from McGill University and St. Thomas University. For many years Neil actively supported the Government of Canada policy and data communities, the Advanced Policy Analyst Program and the Free Agent HR Program. Neil is excited to bring his many years of Public Service experience to his work at the Max Bell School of Public Policy.
