PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS WORKSHOP & PARLIAMENTARY RECEPTION

12 November 2009 at Westminster Central Hall.

Chaired by:  Lynne Berry OBE

Panel:

Lynne Berry OBE, CEO WRVS
Andrea Sutcliffe, Appointments Commission
Tracey Boscott, Government Equalities Office
Julia Oliver, Odgers & Berndtson

Workshop: Shaama Saggar-Malik

Following on from the Boardroom event in September, WiPP and WiTT joined forces once again.  70 Members registered for the workshop and a further 30 attended the networking reception in the House of Lords.  Costs were kept down thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Government Equalities Office.

Key points from the discussion and workshop are:

• APPLY.  Don’t wait to be asked. 
  If you don’t apply, you won’t get the post.
• Enter at the right level for you.
• Target posts where you are passionate about the issue.  It is demanding work and not well paid (if at all) so you need to be strongly motivated.
• Appointments are for leadership positions so you need to be forward looking, strategic and have opinions.
• Be aware that the selection process is lengthy and it may take months for appointments to be made.
• Assessments are made against specific criteria which you’ll need to match.
• Posts are advertised in the Sunday Times – so read it.
• Get onto the radar of the Headhunters and Appointments Commission.
• If you are not successful, get feedback, and try again.
• Don’t give up.