Guidance

First year Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) podcast and transcript

Updated 6 July 2023

Podcast

My first year on the Defence Commercial graduate programme with DSTL

Transcript

By 2019 cohort graduate.

I was accepted for the graduate scheme whilst completing my final year at university and in my application, I selected Portsmouth to be my home duty station. This meant relocating to a new city after graduating. At first, I was worried that this would be a very isolating experience and I had some reservations regarding moving further away from family and friends on top of starting a completely new career. Despite my initial trepidation my actual experience has been nothing but positive largely due to the graduate scheme’s buddy system, my Top-Level Budget and my cohort. My buddy has been an incredible asset to my time on the scheme and even before it. We were in contact a week after I was formally offered a position and we were able to meet the first time I visited Portsmouth and she also helped arrange my first day on site at my first placement. Having a buddy from the graduate scheme has been incredibly helpful when transitioning into a field as broad as defence procurement whilst also balancing the commitments of the scheme.

My TLB is the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and my first placement has been with the Cyber and Information Systems division. My placement with DSTL has provided consistent development opportunities both personally and professionally. For example, in my first month I was already implementing contract action and I have also been involved in the creation of a new framework agreement. I awarded my first contract under the Electronic Warfare and Cyber framework, I volunteered at an Ernst Young Foundation outreach event and I am part of the diversity and inclusion working group.

The fact that I have been able to achieve these things is due to the extensive training and support I have received from the CIS team and DSTL senior management. This placement has been both challenging and rewarding and I am looking forward to re-grading back into DSTL once I have completed the scheme.

My next placement will be with the commercial team in Navy command which is based in Portsmouth. I have selected this placement as I want to experience the diversity of procurement practices in navy commercial in order to support my personal and professional development. Being able to gain this kind of experience is very useful as I will be able to take the skills I learn in this placement and directly apply it to the practices at DSTL when I return. There are a multitude of placements which offer different areas of work and developmental progression.

It can be difficult to select a next placement but with the support of my mentor and Sponsor Line Manager I have been able to identify my specific interests and goals. I have a keen interest in international relations and strategy, and this has led me to placements which focus on these two things. I am hoping to complete placements with departments such as the International Relations Group in Bristol, the Joint Forces Command Hub in London and the Strategy, Portfolio and Capability Division at DSTL.