Hi! I’m Thomas, I’m on the Diplomatic & Development Fast Stream.

Before the fast Stream:

I studied Economics at Loughborough University. I did a few jobs before that working on NCS and in a Warehouse!

Current department/job title:

I work as a Counter Terrorism Desk Officer in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Quick intro to a day in the life of the role: 

My responsibility is to put forward UK positions on key security issues and understand where other countries are focusing their efforts. This involves traveling around the world. So far, I have visited Kenya, Norway, USA, Belgium, Netherlands, Paris, Malta.

What I enjoy about my role: 

I really enjoy my role because it has allowed me to travel to a range of countries and get to meet with brilliant, motivating and interesting people I otherwise would not have. The opportunity to discover new cultures and languages has also been fascinating personally.

Training/qualifications:

Besides the standard civil service training and qualifications, I recommend throwing yourself into any opportunity which allows you to learn something new, like attending conferences, networking and shadowing other people in their jobs. I also highly recommend volunteering in your local community, NCS and Youth Council offered me the chance to meet with a whole range of new people and learn some of the key diplomatic skills required to work in Government.

Top Tip:

Be open minded, interested, and friendly. These are the most important principles of being a good diplomat and official. There is plenty of good advice out there, but I think reflecting on your motivations, interests and strengths will stand you in a good position to achieve everything you strive for!