ADMINISTRATOR PROFILES
Chris
Click here to listen to Chris's words - spoken by an actor
Having studied languages at University and previously travelled a fair amount, I was sure I wanted a job which would allow me the opportunity to work on international issues. I applied to join SIS through a friend of someone in my family who works here (this was in the days before open recruitment).
My first job in the Service was in the telecoms and communications department and I did this for 18 months. I was given a lot of autonomy, being the main point of contact for a number of telecoms suppliers and looking after a big budget to pay the bills. The good thing about this job was that I also got to deal with many sections in the office, getting to know people and finding out how the office works.
My next job was as an operational support officer working on Middle East issues. I did this job for 3 years and enjoyed it immensely. Again I was given responsibility and the work was interesting and varied (from routine admin to meeting agents). I got the chance to provide support to operational facilities and also had a number of overseas trips. I had the opportunity to really get to grips with SIS's work and to gain an in-depth knowledge of the subject. At the end of this job I successfully applied for promotion.
I then went on temporary duty overseas to Central Europe. I had a fantastic time and had the chance to live in a country I would never normally have visited while enjoying the benefits of overseas life. I got to deal with a number of our foreign counterparts, both work-related and occasionally socially! Even in the short period of time I was there, I managed to travel the country extensively and also visit neighbouring countries for weekend trips.
The natural progression for me was a full posting which I am taking up shortly. I am looking forward to the challenge of living and working overseas for three years.
Jennifer
After graduating from university I started working for a small manufacturing business. A few months later having decided that I didn't want a career in the private sector, I successfully applied for a job in SIS. In some ways the experience of joining SIS was much like that of university - moving to a new city, other new entrants joining at the same time, a bar, a coffee shop, a gym, organised social events - but this time I was being paid, had a pension and the work was secret.
My first two weeks at SIS were taken up with an induction course, a good way of understanding the aims of the Service and how it achieves them. It was also a chance to meet other new entrants. At the end of the induction I was allocated the first of the three jobs I have held since joining. My first job was a short stint in Records Management which gave me a good introduction to working in SIS and allowed me to develop skills which have been useful in my subsequent posts. I have gained further skills and knowledge through a wide variety of training courses which my line managers have encouraged me to attend. Some of these courses are specific to SIS work and others are more general such as 'Effective Writing' or the 'European Computer Driving Licence'. Following the Records Management job I moved to the Middle East department supporting overseas stations with a mixture of routine administration and operational support tasks; these included assisting in the organisation of high level visits, setting up and maintaining operational facilities, looking after staff in the run up to their postings, and travel to the region. For the last two years I have been working on WMD export controls within the Counter Proliferation department. As I do not have a technical background this job has been challenging, but the section has approachable experts who are happy to offer guidance. Although administration forms the bulk of this job, I also represent SIS at Whitehall meetings attended by a number of other government departments (occasionally as the sole SIS representative), issue reports to Whitehall, carry out research tasks and liaise with other UK and foreign intelligence Services.
Having now spent 6 years as an administrator I feel I have the skills and experience to progress to the next grade and will attend the next promotion assessment centre.
Sarah
I joined SIS a few years ago, in my twenties, having worked in a range of private-sector jobs including office administration. I first worked as an administration officer in a corporate services department, and have since moved into an administrative role in an operational team. It is great to know that the work you are doing is worthwhile and contributing to the success and security of the UK.
The work is what you might expect - booking flights, paperwork, arranging meetings and other administrative support for the team. As with any job, there are aspects of the role which can seem repetitive and routine, but the nature of the job demands that you have a high degree of professionalism and appreciate the importance of the work and what it contributes to the overall work of the Service - at times it can feel like quite a responsibility!
As an administrative officer, there have been times when I have felt like the 'hub' of the team as the work I do helps to facilitate operations and the work of my colleagues - if they need to find the answer/arrange the meeting/book their flight etc. they come to me. As my team's needs vary, my workload priorities are constantly changing and my day can be quite varied but I enjoy the buzz of having to meet a new and unforeseen deadline.
From my experience of working in both corporate services and operational departments I can see how they complement and support each other. Both involve important and time sensitive work which can be crucial to the success of an operation or other piece of work. The sort of tasks an administrator might expect to do in each department are fairly similar, but there is obviously greater operational exposure in some jobs than others.
One of the best things about my job is that there are always opportunities to learn new things - whether it concerns the departmental subject matter, or specific training to help you do your job more effectively. I've always been encouraged to attend courses to help develop my skills and my colleagues are very supportive.
Working in a busy, sometimes demanding job, means that the team dynamic is very important, and the environment is often very sociable. I've made a lot of new friends since I joined the Service.
