Duncan Stalker

After graduating, Law alumnus Duncan Stalker didn’t know what to do next. After spending a couple of years travelling and doing temp jobs, he joined the civil service and never looked back. Learn more about Duncan’s experience and his current role as Business Manager, Environment and Forestry Directorate at the Scottish Government.

Why did you study law?

“Some folks are fortunate that they have always known what career they want to have, but I didn’t. I took a pragmatic approach to university and studied law because it’s a well-respected degree that develops skills that can be transferred into various career paths.”

What did you do after graduating?

“I graduated in 2012 with an LLB (Hons) Law degree. I didn’t want to pursue a career in legal practice; however, I wasn’t sure what to do instead. So, after finishing my studies I went travelling with friends.

“After the best part of a year I returned to Edinburgh and started looking for jobs. It was a challenging time as this was at the tail end of the global financial crisis and the job market was still struggling. I therefore joined a temp agency and did some data entry work.

“In 2014 a couple of my friends got jobs at the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. The department was going through a recruitment drive and my friends encouraged me to apply. I started in August of that year, and I was based at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court. My responsibilities varied. I did everything from registering claims and setting them up on the system to being part of the court hearing by taking minutes, handling decrees, and various bits and pieces like that.

“This job was an interesting experience, and I really enjoyed it. It also prompted me to start considering the direction I wanted my career to go. Rather than focus on the end product, I assessed the things I was good at and what that could translate into. I liked working at the Courts because it wasn’t a typical desk job. I didn’t appreciate it until then, but I enjoy jobs that are interactive, and this job exposed me to that. I also realised that I’m an organised person who is good with deadlines. I'm sure my lecturers are laughing right now, but these are skills I’ve developed over time and have become a strength of mine.”

Tell us more about your experience working at the Scottish Government.

“My job in the Courts settled me into the broader civil service, of which there are umpteen arms. In 2018 I was looking to progress in my career and searched the internal vacancy portal and came across a post for a private secretary for a government minister which seemed an ideal fit.

“Every day was different, and importantly it didn’t feel like a typical desk job. I did everything from organising the minister’s diary, commissioning and requesting briefings, and making sure that the minister was well versed in the material before they went into their meeting. There's parliamentary business that they have to entertain as well, so I was involved in sorting speeches and debate material. I also traveled with the minister when they attended events. Throughout my time in the private office, I have frequently travelled throughout Scotland, as well as accompanied the minister to Paris, Brussels and Slovenia. I also attended COP 26 in Glasgow, just as the Covid restrictions began to ease. It was a fantastic experience watching people from all over the world try and achieve something that will benefit us all.

“Things are fast-paced and can change very quickly. Staff get moved internally without much warning, particularly when there is a ministerial reshuffle. If a minister is new to a portfolio, staff are usually kept where they are to help the minister settle in, but other times we are moved around. I worked as a private secretary for four years and I’ve worked for the ministers for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs; Finance; Energy, Connectivity and the Islands; and Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform.”

How did you get your current role?

“In early 2022 a vacancy came up as Business Manager within the Environment and Forestry Directorate. I worked closely with the department during my time in the minister’s private office, which I think helped me when I applied. I was really keen to get this job because I believed the skills that I would develop – such as risk governance, project management, business planning – would be well received across government and would lead to future opportunities.

“Part of my role is responsive, where I deal with immediate requests, while the other part is more strategic. At the moment I’m supporting my team leader to establish our directorate risk register and ensuring that all the divisions within the directorate have their divisional risk register set up.”

What advice would you give to someone wishing to follow in your footsteps?

“Just because you’ve graduated doesn’t mean you immediately need to know what you’re doing next. Most of us will find ourselves along the way. However, an old director of mine would impress upon all his team that it’s important to have a loose career plan. You don’t need to be held hostage to it, but if you don’t know where you’re going, you could fall into the trap of ‘any road will do’. That’s why I spent the time early in my career to consider what my strengths are and what areas I need to work on.”

Published August 2024