What does a day in your shoes feel like? And what are the key skills that can make or break a career in your field?

Apolitical has asked a diverse group of public servants to give us their career story. In this article, Marianne Mandujano explains why being able to influence the future of a region and the lives of fellow citizens is among the greatest privileges of being a public servant.

What is your role in government and how do you spend your time on a standard workday?

I’m a policy analyst in local government, which means I work on providing policy insight and advice to other parts of the organisation and to elected members. I do desk research, analyse data, write reports and engage with colleagues and partners, with the aim to enable good policy decisions and the delivery of the council’s priorities.

On a standard workday I might do a bit of all of these things, for example, I might spend some time looking at internal data, then discuss with colleagues how best to use the insight and how to present it. Often I also spend some time reading about what is happening elsewhere, and what are examples of good work being done that we can draw inspiration from.

In your opinion, what are the most important skills someone needs to excel in your field?

I think analytical and interpersonal skills are some of the key skills in the work. The ability to understand a topic quickly and get your ideas across, both in person and writing, is also important. In addition, a big part of the job is engaging with people, so enjoying working with people and the ability to create good working relationships inside and outside the organisation will definitely help.

This next answer does not so much describe a skill, but I think being curious about how things work and how processes can be improved are generally important aspects, as well as being open to innovative ideas and not shying away from change. And of course, wanting to make a difference to the communities we serve. I think that is at the core of being a public servant.

What is your favourite part of your job? What would you change if you could wave a magic wand?

My favourite part is how varied the work is. Working in local government means we work across all the functions of the council, so one day I might work on anti-social behaviour and the next on adult social care.

I really enjoy delving into a new area of work, getting a sense of the literature and issues in the field, and then going on to think about what it looks like locally and what next steps might be.

The work is also varied in terms of doing both qualitative and quantitative analysis. It’s a job where you get to use and develop a range of different skills. Not to play into stereotypes about the sector, but in terms of a magic wand – I wouldn’t mind a quicker pace sometimes!

What advice would you give to young public servants who are interested in a career in your field?

I think what I would say is any research experience, as well as exposure to policy or a political environment is great. Be curious about the world and develop different skills, particularly stakeholder management and analytical skills.

What’s interesting about the team I work in is that we have quite varied backgrounds. I think policy is a field that benefits from a range of experiences, so it’s something to consider even without a traditional background. — Marianne Mandujano

Marianne-Mandujano

Marianne Mandujano

Picture credit for header image: Mostafa Meraji (Unsplash)