#2 Tamanna Begum - Civil Servant at DWP

I interviewed Tamanna Begum to find out what drove her passion in working for DWP. This is what she had to say...

Briefly, tell us about yourself. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working in the UK Civil Service?

My name is Tamanna Begum and I currently work for the Department for Work and Pensions. I have been working at this department for 6 months now. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, going out for dinner for sea foods, spending time with my toddler, Mahira and hosting dinner parties. In that, my most favourite part in hosting would be crafting creative tablescapes! I enjoy travelling and aim to travel around often with my family to as many countries we can, hence, I enjoy booking holidays and my husband would agree that has become an addiction of mine!?

What was your primary motivation for wanting to work in the UK Civil Service?

My primary motivation for wanting to work in the UK Civil Service is that: I admire on the job training, development opportunities and of course to be able to earn a decent living, alongside doing my part in helping the community to be better.?

How has your journey been before landing a job with the UK Civil Service?

I have initially set out to qualify as a solicitor, however my experiences in the law firms so far have not been so well unfortunately hence a diversion in my career plans for a while. It has been unpleasant in the duration of the numerous short terms experiences I’ve encountered. I had few weeks of work experience and employment at some High Street law firms and very quickly realised their toxic work culture such as unhealthy work life imbalance, unresolved employee concerns, negative employee behaviours, high employee turnover and lack of collaboration. I took some alternative jobs rather than dwelling into one career path and looked at maximizing my income and skills set.??

I worked at several schools across the West Midlands with agencies on temporary unqualified cover supervisor roles. This then led to a permanent cover supervisor role at another secondary school. Additionally, my experience there over a year provided me with enough insights to deciding whether teaching would be the appropriate alternative career for me. Consequently, the pros and cons weighed up did not suite my current personal commitments.? I then explored the field of Domestic violence and worked for a Women's refuge as a Senior Caseworker providing individual needs-led information, safety planning, support, and advocacy (including signposting) for victims/survivors of Forced Marriage (FM) and Honour Based Abuse (HBA. In there I also as delivered workshops to secondary school pupils and professionals working with women and young females in relation to DV.???

While I was working for the refuge, I was on the reserve list during December 2022 and was offered a role as an Executive Officer in March 2023 and it was a no brainer for me to accept it as I had been delighted with many prospects this role had to offer me.??

What challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?

I faced a lot of challenges and still face some.? However, now I have the necessary job support, mentoring, equipment, and flexibility that meets my current lifestyle.? One of the biggest struggles was having to do things myself and not be able to seek my parent’s support and assistance in gaining employment as they have very little literacy and understanding of English language. I have had to be hyper-independent while struggling with imposter syndrome and trying to educate family on my career and its progress.? I struggled with gaining even through the eligibility hurdle due to my 2:2 when I was seeking a training contract for law! Unfortunately, the stigma around this sort of classification is so prominent and we are automatically excluded from several law firms, no matter how talented and skilful we may be. Its heart-warming to see that there is a change in classification requirements as government bodies seem to be more welcoming and diverse in their recruitment of staff in comparison to other industries.? I still face imposter syndrome as a first-generation immigrant and seeking promotions because we tend to self-reject before even applying for a senior role. I am overcoming this challenge by seeking support from the mentoring scheme available in Civil service and asking for feedback on my competency questions, from those already in roles I aspire to be as well as volunteering for further development. My aim is to blend my passion for Law and policies in my future role and maybe even look out for legal schemes within the Government bodies to hopefully qualify as a Lawyer in the future in a supportive environment.?

What essential tips do you have for those who aspire to work in the UK Civil Service?

My essential tips I have for those aspiring to work in the UK Civil Service is: Read the recruitment advert in any attachment that are part of the advert. You must follow the selection process exactly and ensure that you provide what is asked so that the hiring manager can assess you properly. Also, only use about 20% on situation and task for the STAR model. Please start on the application ahead of the deadline as this can provide you with plenty of time for feedbacks with others and proof reading to match success profiles.?