Gwefan llywodraeth y DU

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Why should you apply for a position on a public body?

Professor Averil Macdonald, Trustee of the National Museums of Science & Industry:

"I had no idea about public appointments at all, and somebody pointed out to me that there was a need for more women to apply for public appointments. And I looked into this and I realised that in fact there were a lot of opportunities. So I started looking around - in particular I used the web a lot - and I noticed that there's a wide range of public appointments available. I actually applied for a lot before I got the appointment on the board of trustees for the Science Museum, but the board of trustees position really is suited to me, because it allows me to talk about science and engaging the public in science. So it's something that is up my street.

What skills do you need?

"You need to be able to listen to other people, you need to be able to think about what they're saying and you need to be able to put forward an opinion. And then, obviously, the opinions will be balanced."

How do you get started?

"I actually took a position on my daughter's school board of governors in the first instance. It's a good way of testing the water and getting used to the board's position, and understanding how to interact with other people at meetings. And from there you begin to gain confidence and then you can move to other positions. So to become a public appointee, you don't have to go in on the highest level: you can develop and work your way through. The other piece of advice I can give is to apply for a number of different positions. You'll find you don't get the first position you apply for, but that doesn't mean to say you shouldn't keep applying. It's a bit like taking a driving test: you get better as time goes on; your application will improve; your interview skills will improve and in the end you'll actually find that the right appointment will come along."

What sort of people apply for public appointments?

"I actually believed, once upon a time, that public appointments were all about the important and terribly high-powered people in the world, and it isn't actually true. In fact, the way that the boards work, it means that we do need a wide range of people - we actually need people from all walks of life. So those people who think to themselves, 'chances are I'm not important enough, I've never done anything very special in my life' - those are exactly the sort of people who ought to be on boards, for the simple reason that they can bring that experience to the board. And that way the board will actually represent the population as a whole, far better than it would if it were only made up of terribly important people."