Information Specialists: meet the team - Chris

"After several good years as a BBC 'Information Researcher', providing research for various radio and television programmes, I felt ready for a change of location.

With an MA in Information Services Management, I wanted a job away from the bustle of London, which would develop my career. I saw an advert for 'Information Specialists' at GCHQ on a Library web site and was tempted.

I can't deny that the thought of working for one of the intelligence services was intriguing, but what attracted me the most was the thought of living in the Cotswolds with a relatively secure job and the career development opportunities that the advertisement promised.

After a successful interview, it became obvious that working for GCHQ would be unlike any other job I'd had. Before I could be offered the post I needed to be security cleared - a long process requiring interviews, not only for me, but also colleagues and friends. During this four-month wait I was regularly informed of my clearance progression and received more details about GCHQ, including a warning to be aware of approaches from foreign agents for whom I was now a prime target!

What struck me from my first day, was the necessary culture of security (having to remember various passwords, combinations and to lock drawers) and also a bewildering language of code words and acronyms, which took me a couple of months to feel literate in. I was also surprised at how relaxed and friendly everyone was and how great flexi time is! (I generally work early and am home before 16.00 each day!).

I knew that I would be required to do, either; Library work, Web work or Knowledge Management. However, it was two days into my weeklong induction when I learned that I was to start my career at GCHQ doing Knowledge Management, something of which I had no previous experience.

This work has proven to be extremely interesting and varied. I can't give too much detail, but I began by working on improving Knowledge Sharing across GCHQ - not an easy thing when GCHQ has traditionally had such a secretive and restrictive culture! This involved visits to external organisations and forums to investigate and evaluate the latest methods and theories and how we might learn from them.

I got to use my research skills as part of a team which provided retrieval support and advice to users of an essential GCHQ database. This gave me a useful insight to GCHQ's core business, and led to my involvement in a project to develop its replacement.

My current work is particularly interesting and challenging, as I am involved with developing and managing the way that we restrict and share sensitive information across and outside GCHQ, which also involves working closely with our core business.

Over the last two years I have really enjoyed my work here and haven't had any regrets, particularly with leaving the city for such a beautiful part of the country. I've acquired various new skills and with a policy of 2-3 year residency periods for each job, I'm looking forward to developing new ones. I have found the social life rich and with the support of work I've been involved in external endurance competitions, rock climbing, and dragon boat racing (none of which are compulsory!)."

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