Consider working outside of your preferred policy area at first in order to build up your policy experience. After a few years of relevant experience, you may find it easier to find a role in a more competitive policy area.
Do you know if this works for someone coming from outside the civil service? E.g. if someone works in say economic policy at a think tank and they want to shift into say an emerging technology role at the civil service, would they be able to easily do so? Or would the job description likely say something like “experience in emerging technology policy required”?
A recent job advertisement said: “Previous experience in government is not essential, but you will need to have good political awareness and the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences and the ability to solve problems using structured problem-solving techniques.”
I think that attitude is typical for policy roles. The better you understand government, including for example experience working with senior politicians or drafting legislation, the stronger a candidate you would likely be. Civil Service experience is certainly not essential, though!
Edit: I realize I didn’t answer another part of your question. Experience in the relevant subject is encouraged but usually not essential—it depends on the role. Often an advertisement might say something like, “Able to credibly engage with stakeholders.”
Thanks for writing this!
Do you know if this works for someone coming from outside the civil service? E.g. if someone works in say economic policy at a think tank and they want to shift into say an emerging technology role at the civil service, would they be able to easily do so? Or would the job description likely say something like “experience in emerging technology policy required”?
A recent job advertisement said: “Previous experience in government is not essential, but you will need to have good political awareness and the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences and the ability to solve problems using structured problem-solving techniques.”
I think that attitude is typical for policy roles. The better you understand government, including for example experience working with senior politicians or drafting legislation, the stronger a candidate you would likely be. Civil Service experience is certainly not essential, though!
Edit: I realize I didn’t answer another part of your question. Experience in the relevant subject is encouraged but usually not essential—it depends on the role. Often an advertisement might say something like, “Able to credibly engage with stakeholders.”