If you’d asked me a couple of years ago where I’d end up, I probably would’ve said something firmly within finance. I studied Accounting at university and went straight into corporate tax. It made sense at the time. It was structured, well understood, and a solid place to start building a career.
And to be fair, it did exactly that. It gave me a strong foundation. I learned how to manage deadlines, work through detail properly, and stay calm when things got busy. But over time, I started to notice what I was paying attention to outside of the actual work.
I was always more curious about what was happening around the work rather than just within it. How decisions were being made, how teams were working together, and how things actually moved forward across the wider organisation. I found myself more interested in the bigger picture than the specific technical lane I was in. That shift in what I was drawn to made me rethink what I wanted day-to-day. I realised I wanted something with more visibility, more variety, and more involvement in how things come together. That’s what led me to explore roles beyond traditional finance, and eventually into the Civil Service and DDaT, where I joined as the Office Manager.
First Impressions
One of the first things that stood out to me was the work-life balance. There’s a genuine understanding that people have lives outside of work, and that being trusted to manage your time properly leads to better outcomes. Coming from environments where being constantly “on” felt normal, it was a noticeable shift. It made settling in feel much easier. That balance also gave me the space to actually learn the role properly. I wasn’t rushing to keep up, I could take things in, build confidence, and understand how everything fit together. It set the tone early on that doing good work here isn’t about burning yourself out, which is something I’ve really valued.
The Team and Culture
What really stayed with me was how supportive people were while I was finding my feet. Starting any new role can feel a bit overwhelming, especially when you’re stepping into something different, but that never really defined my experience. People took the time to explain things, and just as importantly, didn’t make it a big deal when you needed to ask questions. That made a real difference. It meant I could learn at a steady pace, build confidence naturally, and focus on doing the job well rather than worrying about getting everything right immediately. Looking back, that consistency from the team made what could’ve been a difficult transition feel straightforward and actually really enjoyable.
Exposure and Getting Involved
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about working in DDaT is the level of exposure the role gives you. From early on, I was encouraged to get involved, sit in on conversations, and understand what was happening across the directorate as a whole. Rather than being limited to one specific area, I’ve been able to see how different teams and priorities connect, which has made the role both interesting and genuinely engaging.
At times, that did mean stepping slightly outside of my comfort zone. Whether that was joining new conversations, supporting unfamiliar areas of work, or being in spaces I wouldn’t have had access to before. But those moments ended up being the most valuable. Being trusted to get involved rather than just observe made a big difference to how quickly I built confidence in the role. Looking back, those experiences have been a big part of my development, and probably what I’ve enjoyed most.
Building Relationships Across UKEF
Something that’s become really clear in this role is how important relationships are.
Being an Office Manager naturally puts you at the centre of a lot of conversations, and that’s given me a much better understanding of how teams operate and how everything fits together. It’s not just about processes, it’s about people.
Spending time with different teams, understanding how they work, and seeing their day-to-day priorities has given me a much broader view of DDaT as a whole. It’s made the work feel more connected and a lot more meaningful. On a more day-to-day level, building those relationships has made a real difference to how the role feels. It makes collaboration easier, and even on the busier days, having that familiarity with people makes everything run more smoothly.
A Few Things I’ve Learned So Far
Looking back, there are a few things that have really stayed with me. The first is how important it is to pay attention to what actually interests you, not just what you think you should be doing. That shift in mindset is what led me here in the first place, and it’s something I’ve learned to trust a lot more.
The second is that confidence doesn’t come from having everything figured out early on. It builds gradually, through getting involved, asking questions, and being willing to step into things that feel a bit unfamiliar at first. That’s probably been one of the biggest changes for me.
And finally, the environment you’re in really does matter. Being surrounded by people who are supportive, open, and willing to bring you in makes a huge difference, not just to how quickly you learn, but to how much you enjoy the work as well.
A Few Looking Forward To
I’m really looking forward to building on what I’ve started here and getting more involved in how things come together across DDaT. Up to now, I’ve had the chance to see a lot of it from the outside, but I’m keen to play more of an active role and understand where I can genuinely add value. I also want to keep developing the relationships I’ve started building across different teams. The more time I’ve spent working with people across the directorate, the more I’ve realised how much of a difference that makes, not just to the work itself but to how smoothly everything runs day to day. There’s still a lot more for me to learn there, and I’m looking forward to becoming more embedded in it.
Stepping outside of my comfort zone is another big one. A lot of the progress I’ve made so far has come from saying yes to things I didn’t fully know how to do at the start, and figuring it out as I went. I want to keep doing more of that, whether that’s getting involved in new areas, joining different conversations, or taking on a bit more responsibility over time.
More than anything, I’m looking forward to continuing to build that bigger picture understanding of how everything fits together. The exposure I’ve had so far has given me a really good starting point, but there’s still a lot to take in, and that’s probably the part I’m most interested in developing further. If the last few months are anything to go by, that’s usually where the most interesting parts of the role come from.
Amna
Leave a comment