Name: Joe Fillingham
Profession: Civil Servant – Assistant Director
Attended York High School: 2005 – 2010
Post-16 attended: N/A
University or college? N/A
Favourite subject at school: History
What I thought I wanted to do: I aspired to join the armed forces
What I ended up doing: I’m now an Assistant Director within the Civil Service. Currently working for the Home Office. I run programmes of work that transform government departments.
How I got here: I started out by gaining my lifeguards qualification and working at Energise. This gave me an income and developed my skills in people management, time management, responding to emergencies, innovative thinking and administration.
I was also never afraid to ask for help. Whether I struggled to understand a concept, needed help to revise efficiently, or struggled with time management, my teachers were there to help me in all aspects. Remember, they want to see you succeed!
Following this I started working for NHS England in a business support capacity and found I had a natural flare for change and transformation. So I focused my ability on managing projects of work, especially on the use of technical tools.
After a few years I joined the civil service and have developed systems that enabled the import and export of foods following Brexit, transformed the way government handles its data and delivered the automation of services across government.
Most useful skill or character trait for my job: I’ve learnt that delivering change requires a huge amount of tact. People embrace change differently and some will need more encouragement or support, some may need to be influenced. By being tactful, I can be firm, polite, cautious, cheeky, persuasive and passionate simultaneously to ensure my projects succeed.
Top tip! Trust in your own ability.
