Four questions with… Alex

Name: Alex Garrido

Degree details: BSc History and Politics

Job title: Security Policy Officer at Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office

Can you briefly describe your current role?

I work at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office on the Diplomatic Service Fast Stream, which I joined after graduating in 2018. I spent a year as a regional analyst on the Afghanistan desk, supporting the UK’s efforts to help find a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict. I even got to put together a visit by the President of Afghanistan to watch England v Afghanistan in last year’s Cricket World Cup.

I currently work on our Future Relationship negotiations with the EU – I cover Security-related issues of all kinds, from extradition law and police cooperation, to public health security (which, when I started the job in November, was not supposed to be such a high-profile problem…). I do a lot of briefing for senior officials and ministers, and spend a lot of time preparing for and supporting the actual negotiation rounds – with an eye on what comes next after December (at the time of writing, there’s a few different outcomes still on the table!).

What is the biggest mistake you have made since graduating and what have you learnt from it?

Thinking that I don’t deserve to be in my job because I’m not as smart as the people around me. I’m lucky enough to work for an organisation with some really clever people in it – but when I started, I found this massively intimidating, and my work suffered because I wouldn’t present it with confidence, and I wouldn’t actively seek out opportunities for difficult or exciting work because I thought that everyone else was a cut above me. Realistically, if you’re given a job, your employers think you ought to be there – the only person that can then prove them wrong is you, so act like you deserve the job and that people want to hear what you have to say. Just like loud people in seminars, the people at your job making the most noise aren’t necessarily the smartest, so hold your corner and make yourself heard too.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

Do something you’re passionate about. I appreciate that this is way, way easier said than done, particularly at the moment.

When you’re leaving University, there’s huge pressure to get a job straight away, and at the same time it can feel like there’s no opportunities going. You should start looking into what sort of jobs you want to line up for the end of your course at the start of your final year at the latest. This isn’t to say stop enjoying University and fixate on what salary you can get, but so many jobs have rolling applications and it pays to get in there early. Look widely, talk to everyone in the Careers Network at the University, and take the best you can get, for now.

But when you’ve hopefully landed on your feet somewhere… think about what you want to do. Work is, to put it bleakly, the rest of your life. If you’re going to spend it doing something you don’t enjoy, you’re just living for the weekend, which to me just isn’t enough. The best advice I’ve been given is to not chase the highest possible salary I can earn, or to go into the most competitive, lightning-fast, high-pressure-high-reward industry, but to do something that makes me want to go into work every day. For some people, those two things happily line up! But having done both types of jobs, I can guarantee you that work you care about will make you happier than work you don’t. Sounds obvious, but it’s easy to fall into a job somewhere comfortable-ish and think that’s all there is.

Also, that living in South London is much better than living in North London.

What have you learned since graduating that could be helpful to other graduates like you?

Rental markets move quickly. Good god. It’s awful. Chances are that when you leave UoB you’ll need to rent somewhere, and, if you’re moving to a city, the property market moves at a blistering pace. Most people I knew at University had never had to find their own place outside Selly Oak before, and it takes people by surprise when a flat is listed one morning and is gone by the next. Plan roughly where you want to live, research an area, get yourself on every estate agent’s mailing list you can find, but then everything turns on a day or two: put yourself in a position, if you can, to do viewings and make offers at extremely short notice, or you’ll miss out on the best deals. This isn’t easy (especially if you’re moving to a city that isn’t in easy reach), but do whatever you can to be the first person to get an offer in. Don’t be too afraid to ask for a ‘break clause’ if you aren’t comfortable with taking a full year’s contract straight away.

It’s World Mental Health Day on Saturday 10 October, what is your top tip for looking after your wellbeing

I’m certainly not a mental health expert, but I can give some work-relation advice, since your work can be one of the biggest drains on your mental wellbeing. At the Office we talk a lot about ‘resilience’- essentially, sustaining your effort over a period of time when under pressure. Doing too much, too quickly, is a sure-fire way to burn yourself out. There’s only so much you can do, when working at full tilt, to manage your stress; but when you’re new or when your work is at an important or high-pressure period, it can feel necessary to take on additional work or pull ridiculous hours. Learn to say ‘no’ to things that aren’t your responsibility/that will deplete your stamina too early, and justify it by saying exactly that. Be mindful of how much work you’ve been doing, and if it seems like too much, then you need to either delegate, prioritise, or ask for some room. For some situation this isn’t always possible – but when you spot an opening for a break, take it! You’d be amazed by the difference that an extra day off, or even just a solid night’s sleep can do for your wellbeing; and likewise, even if you feel fine at the time, running yourself ragged will take its toll sooner or later. Be proactive about keeping yourself on an even keel.