Mike Baker CBE - A Career in the UK Civil Service

The talk which was open to all students interested in a career in policymaking, civil service, or leadership, focused on Mike’s long and storied career within the UK civil service where he held senior positions within HMRC and DWP and also acted as Chief Operating Officer at the Ministry of Defence.

Mike shared insights from his career, including what it’s like to lead an organisation of 230,000 colleagues with an annual spend of £60b, how government works and the lessons he has learned since leaving the civil service.

Speaking about the event, Mike said: “It was a great privilege to share my experiences, my values and my learning with York students in what was a lively afternoon discussing leadership and careers in the civil service and policy. 

“I was incredibly impressed with the engagement and passion which the students showed and there were some great questions which prompted some insightful conversations. I’m confident that many of the audience at the session have a bright future in the civil service if that’s a path they wish to take.”

In attendance was second year student, Tilly Bowen who shared her thoughts on the talk:

“Mike spoke about his journey within the Civil Service, his guiding principles and the challenges he encountered whilst managing a large workforce and adapting to new situations. Mike’s leadership skills are highly commendable and inspirational; he gave the advice of setting out clear visions and rationales as well as being empathetic and respectful to ensure the task at hand is being approached and completed in a positive environment.

“This talk really opened my eyes to the value of maintaining a positive mental attitude and having a strong willingness and determination to take on new opportunities. I will use the insights”

Thanks to all students who came along to the event. 

Listen to Mike's talk

View the slides from the talk: Careers talk slides (MS PowerPoint , 7,346kb)