Christine joined the Civil Service in 2019 as an ICT Specialist, working in Infrastructure. Following her recent promotion, Christine highlights how her work as an ICT Specialist gave her the opportunity to learn new skills which helped to excel her career.
What were your reasons for applying for an ICT role in the public sector?
I wanted more opportunities for advancement in my career and to work in a diverse and large organisation. I applied for a position as an ICT Specialist with the Civil Service towards the end of 2019 and started with the department in January of 2020.
Tell us a little bit about your role?
My current role is with the Configuration Management team, working on an improved software management process. The role will give me the opportunity to technically learn how we can deploy and upgrade software via training with specialists in the area and give me the chance to work with third party enterprise patching tools.
What opportunities has this role provided for you?
My role as an ICT Specialist provided me with on the ground insight. As part of the Windows 10 Migration Project, I had the opportunity to take the lead on projects. I also had technical training in how applications are created and deployed across the department, which gave me a solid foundation for my promotion. I have also been able to return to education, completing a Level 9 postgraduate in Cloud Computing which the department has funded.
Would you recommend a career in the public sector?
My reasons for applying for an ICT role in the public sector were led by my desire to gain experience working in a large organisation, and to hopefully avail of the opportunities for career advancement. I am delighted that I have already been promoted to Administrative Officer since joining the civil service. The encouragement given by senior level management in terms of promotion was felt from day one as well as the confidence expressed in terms of developing you as an individual via training and mentorship. I also wanted a secure role – working in the private sector can often be unpredictable and I was aware that there was a better work life balance in relation to the flexibility of working hours etc.