Michael

Project: A review of income and discretionary charging within the county council.

My degree made me aware of the complexity of local government, and how I could use my skills to benefit those less fortunate than me. When you’re spending citizens’ money, it’s ultra-important to do so effectively. People expect better services but without huge rises in taxes - a great challenge to take on.

My first job after graduating was with a local authority, but I felt I wasn’t being pushed hard enough. Having seen the kind of roles open to graduates on the ngdp, I wanted the same exposure. I also wanted to continue learning with the postgraduate diploma on offer.

The recruitment process was tough. The hardest parts were waiting to find out if I’d got to the next stage! I’d never had a phone interview before, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. By the time I got to the assessment centre, I felt pretty clued up! They constantly kept me informed of where I was in the overall process, and made it very clear what they want in a prospective NMT. The final stage was the local authority interviews, to make sure I was the right fit. It was a lengthy process.

I’m on my 3rd placement now, having worked in a variety of departments. It’s very useful as a future manager to have first hand experience of these, even if I won’t actually work in them later on. It’s helped me build up a wide network of contacts too – especially important if, like me, you end up relocating 200 miles.

The downside of placements is that it can be hard to move to a new department. After four months of leading a project you become very knowledgeable, and it can be disheartening when you know that in a few months you’ll be starting afresh again on a new project somewhere else. It’s important to be aware of this, and focus on the benefits that moving department can have on your development.

I’ve found that my work/life balance is generally good, despite the commitments the ngdp asks of me . It seems that the closer a project deadline, the longer the working hours. However, most local authorities work flexitime schemes, so if you do rack up the hours you get the time back. There’s nothing like working late, knowing you’ll get a long weekend later!

It’s often thought that local government wages aren’t as good as the private sector, but I’m actually better off than some of my friends working in that area. The experiences and training on offer here are as good as any, borne out by the fact that the ngdp is a Times Top 100 Graduate Recruiter.

Not many schemes provide the ngdp’s support levels, the opportunity to continue studying and the sheer range of experiences. What surprises me most is just how quickly time flies on this two-year programme. I’m already on my third placement and it feels like only yesterday that I joined!