‘Your career is on a roll’

A couple of developments have made me think about careers recently. First, LinkedIn has started emailing me telling me that my career is on a roll – a little odd, as I’m pleased to say I am now in receipt of the state pension 😎.

Then I saw in yesterday’s FT that Sir Alan Budd had passed on. He played a major role in monetary and fiscal policy in the UK, and his obituary in the FT (see https://on.ft.com/3GReexL ) points out that he is survived by some of the public policy institutions he helped establish – including the Office for Budgetary Responsibility. But aside from this, he also played a minor role in my career, as he interviewed me for the Government Economic Service.

The obituary quotes Andrew Bailey as saying his “overwhelming memory of Alan” is “how he combined thoughtfulness and great kindness to staff. He always seemed to appreciate what staff did, and find time to express it.”

So his career was not just about himself and climbing the greasy pole – he clearly had time for others. It’s a challenge for all of us – not just how we advance our own careers but how – perhaps through informal encouragement or more formal mentoring arrangements – we help others develop their own careers and interests.