Tell us a bit about you?
My name is Sarah, I’m a Civil Servant working for the Scottish Government. I live in Edinburgh with my husband, kids and cats. Outside of work, I like anything creative. I also collect 70s ceramics and I’ve just discovered paddle boarding, which is great fun.
———
Did you study after leaving school?
I studied Graphic Design at college for a year after school but I didn’t go on to further education after it finished. I started working full-time, mainly in entry-level roles in customer services and sales in and around Edinburgh.
When I started working, a lot of my friends were at university and I did have an ambition to return to studying, with the goal of completing a degree. It wasn’t until a few years later that I eventually achieved this, by studying part-time while also working and raising a family.
———
What and where was your first significant job?
In my 20s I started working in a Communications role with the NHS, it was a junior position but I had the opportunity to work alongside design agencies creating artwork for posters, leaflets, publications and newsletters. This allowed me to develop design skills to deliver projects in-house and it led to a new role as a full-time Graphic Designer.
After working as a designer for a few years, I progressed to establishing an internal design service, recruiting and leading a team of designers for the same NHS board, who also sponsored me to complete my degree in Graphic Design.
———
When did you join the Scottish Government and what was the role?
I joined the Scottish Government as the Lead Digital Designer in Digital Directorate in 2017, working on the design of digital services and information resources. That included designing websites and digital services for the public, making sure that they were accessible to everyone and clear to use. It was a technical design role where I worked as part of a development team including colleagues in a wide range of roles such as website developers, content writers, and project leads.
———
Is this your current position? If not, tell us about your current role at the Scottish Government?
I’m working in a very different role now, which is Resourcing Attraction Lead for People Directorate. In this position, I lead a small team and together we have built an attraction service which provides in-house campaign support for recruitment activity.
We deliver a range of services including content writing, graphic design, social media, advertising and candidate search and engagement to ensure that we attract the best talent to come and work for the Scottish Government.
It’s a really rewarding position working with a great team and it has let me draw on skills in digital, design and communications that I have developed across different roles in the past.
———
What first attracted you to working at government or in the public sector?
When I first started working full-time, it was in a series of jobs where I felt that I wasn’t really contributing anything valuable or making a difference.
I also wanted to work in a creative role, and that led me to my first public sector role, working in communications for the NHS. It was the first job I had where I felt that the work I was delivering was important, and since then I’ve never looked back – I’ve worked in the public sector for over 20 years now.
———
What does a typical day look like for you?
Every day is different, but I’ll generally check in with our social media channels, look at dashboards to see how our campaigns are performing and attend meetings where we will plan future campaigns and improvement projects.
We deliver day-to-day campaign support along with activities like filming, photoshoots, content planning, website development and graphic production. At the moment I work from home most of the week, with one day spent with my team in the office.
———
What do you like most about your current job?
I work with an amazing team who are really committed to delivering the best possible service to colleagues. They keep me motivated every day with their unwavering positivity and enthusiasm.
———
What is your working pattern?
I work full-time but compressed hours with every Friday afternoon off.
I also work hybrid with a mix of home and office working, I currently spend one day a week in the office with the team and it’s great for catching up with everyone and scheduling collaborative meetings where we share ideas for new projects.
———
What do you think is the best thing about working at Scottish Government?
The Scottish Government is like no other place I’ve ever worked. There are a huge variety of roles and a real emphasis on portable skills so there’s a lot of opportunities to develop your career. Since I joined in 2017, I have worked in 3 very different jobs, picking up a mix of skills and knowledge along the way.
I also really value the mission we have as an organisation which is about working together to improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
———
Have you used any employee benefits whilst working at Scottish Government?
The flexi system is great as I can vary my working hours to fit in with family commitments and I’ve also made use of employee discounts in the past for big purchases and days out.
———
What has been your career highlight so far?
We recently launched a new careers website which features real staff members sharing their stories of working in the public sector and promotes the different roles and employee benefits we offer. Since launch, it’s performed really well and it was an exciting project to be involved in.
You can see it here: Homepage – Scottish Government Jobs
———
What career advice would you give your younger self?
Trust that you will get where you want to be with hard work and a positive attitude.
I’ve definitely learned that taking a traditional path into a career is not the only way achieve your goals.