This last article touches on elements of a policy role that may be the same as some other government roles and where things may be different. It also includes a round up of other useful advice from interviewees who have successfully made the transition.
What else would you tell an aspiring policy advisor?
For those already in a government position, it may reduce the intimidation factor to remember that many elements of government work are the same in diverse roles. Each person works under some of the same constraints and within a hierarchy. Some familiarity with who's who in your Department and the importance of your particular role will serve you.
That said, many elements of a policy position may present you with different working conditions. Policy work can be quite solitary. I once took a person onto my policy team from operations one year and she wanted to leave after a month. This caught me off guard - in the end, it was too quiet for her and she had stared at the phone willing it to ring. I have also tried to coax a colleague of mine who is a former academic to consider a policy advice role, and she has been firm in her refusal to do this - she likes the hustle and results-orientation of operations.
One interviewee said: “I found it's helpful to find "your people" - colleagues who understand the unique aspects of working in government and who have a great sense of humour (this is a must) so you can laugh at some of the inevitable frustration.”
One person found policy roles more limiting than anticipated:
“Though your instincts may be telling you that something makes more sense as a way forward, you will have to find your evidence base before you can make a move. I actually felt that I had more space to use my gut to make good decisions in my operational role.”
Others counselled jumping in and getting “on the job” experience as crucial: “In my very early days in policy, I had the great fortune of having a very supportive director who “threw me into the deep end” (his words!) and assigned me the lead on a very complex memorandum to cabinet. This was an invaluable learning experience that fast-tracked my policy knowledge and experience beyond what I could have expected as a very junior analyst. This director’s vote of confidence, and the experience that came with it, was a big factor in my successful transition to policy.”
Relatedly, another person said: “There is a big difference between understanding the skills needed on a theoretical level (such as when you are preparing to compete for a promotion) versus having the experience of trying to use those same skills.”
And some other general words of encouragement for those of you considering the leap:
Your skills are needed: “I firmly believe that more people should come (and go) from the government throughout their careers because of all the skills and experiences they can contribute.”
And lastly, and this rings very true for me as I near the end of my career:
The odds are in your favour that you will join a good crew: “The policy thinkers in my division are stellar – dedicated, interested, curious, and challenge assumptions – doing their best with the resources they have to get the work done.”
Here are the links to the other articles in the series:
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