The status of “official” in Spain is granted to the person who has passed a selection process to work in the Public Administration and performs a public job.

We have all been asked as children what we want to be when we grow up…. The traditional answer is doctor, police, firefighter, soccer player or astronaut. But surely no child would answer “finance inspector” or “State comptroller”. Well, except for the daughter of a fellow dame inspector who played shop with her friends and asked them, every time she bought something from them, an invoice with VAT (in Spain, tradition says that education is learned at home).

As we grow up, reality and rationality put an end to our childhood illusions, and those who do not have a very clear vocation, end up taking paths very different from those they dreamed of (in the case of those who want to be a footballer, reality is the that puts you in your place and you realize that you are a stump; then you start to believe that you are the virtual coach of your favorite team…). We choose a career (a degree, a Master, a Postgraduate) and we look at the subjects that best fit us, sometimes because we are good at them and sometimes because we find a reference (teacher, family member, friend…) that informs us and sheds some light on what awaits us. And that is where you really make the decision that will mark the rest of your life. What are you going to do for the 40 long years of professional life under normal conditions?

At that time, in Spain you should ask yourself the key questions: why not work for the Administration? Why not in the Treasury Department? In Spain to enter to work in the Public Sector you must do what we call “Open selection process”. This is a public announcement to select the best in a sequence of exams among all the applicants who apply. The requirements are simple, be Spanish, have the minimum required university degree and submit the application. The hard part comes later. The exams are open to anyone who requests them and meets the requirements, and we can affirm that it is a selection process governed by equality, merit and ability, from start to finish. There are no cronyisms, there are no “plugs” only those who deserve it enter. Many are presented for few places and normally you need years to prepare them. For this reason, many people give the same answer when you ask them why they do not try it: yes, that would be great, but oppositions are not for me. I would not approve. And what they do not know is that it is not true. Those of us who are civil servants know very well that studying oppositions requires a lot of effort, but we are not smarter than others, nor do we have “superpowers”. We have simply set ourselves a challenge and we have had the perseverance and tenacity to achieve it. You do not need more than discipline and stubbornness and why not say it… You need the muses to smile on you. But if you insist, they end up smiling at you for sure.

There are three factors that everyone should consider when considering becoming a Treasury official in Spain.

The first, if you are willing to sacrifice the years necessary to prepare for the opposition exams. In my personal case and I think that in the case of all of us who face the oppositions, you start with great enthusiasm, you like the chosen subject (in my case, taxation) and to be honest, the long days of study. Then the weeks, months and even years go by, and one begins to doubt seeing friends already working. But the reality is that, although the effort is enormous, discipline and self-esteem do the rest… and of course, the fact of having good trainers and colleagues who encourage you.

The second fundamental factor is to know what awaits you when you approve the opposition. On the one hand, being an official is being a public servant. I often think that in the Treasury, we are not even the first line of the public function, we are not health workers, neither police officers nor firefighters… but without the work we do, in tax collection and in the good management of public spending, it is not possible have the society we have. But, in addition to this moral component, the State Administration is the maximum exponent of family conciliation, equal opportunities between men and women and the compatibility between professional and personal life. In my 23 years as a civil servant, I have never seen a case in which someone has been discriminated against because of their gender, nor has their professional career been limited due to having children, or elderly dependents. On the contrary, family conciliation is one of our pillars. Schedules are logical and flexible. Of course, we have to work the hours that correspond and there is a lot of work, but personal life, conciliation and time flexibility are always respected. On the other hand, one does not become “rich” in the Administration, but the rewards are enough to live comfortably. And of course, the job is secure since civil servant status is maintained for life except in exceptional circumstances.

And the third factor is to decide what I am going to dedicate myself to. Why Treasury? Well, the first thing is that you obviously like the subject. This is a necessary condition, but also to clarify that when we talk about the Treasury, we are talking about a world with many options, Customs, Inspection, collection, cadastre, Public Audit, etc. In the case of the Ministry of Finance in Spain, we have the possibility to change positions and look for the type of work that suits our preferences (it is easy to move within the house and it is easy to try various positions before arriving at the one you like the most). It is also easy to move within the Spanish geography and, on the other hand, the Ministry is a strong spearhead in the Administration in terms of digital transformation and innovative technologies.

Added to this is the fact that in Finance we have the privilege of having the School of Public Finance of the Institute of Fiscal Studies. Once you pass the opposition, you go on to take a specialization course in the area in which you have applied, in which the knowledge and attitudes demonstrated in the competitive examination are complemented with training in skills to apply your knowledge, a strategic and institutional vision of your future job and a stage in which you “promote” with colleagues who will accompany you throughout your life, both professionally and, often, also personally. The friends of the promotion are forever and there is even more than one wedding in each course (although there are also some divorces). We have to value that there are very few institutions and companies in the world that have the luxury of training their future workers for months. It is the organization itself that is responsible for preparing its human talent with sufficient time and resources.

And the time to compete is now. The forecasts for the number of places offered in the coming years are fantastic. In fact, they already are. The Treasury Department expects many retirements in the short term and vacancies must be filled. So, we are in a unique moment to achieve it. Now you do not compete with anyone for a place, but with yourself, to reach the required level.

In short, the option of being a Treasury official, although it was not in our plans when we were children, is an opportunity to have a magnificent personal and professional life. Of course, it requires an effort, the exams are tough but affordable and the reward for passing them opens the door to a professional career that allows you to develop as a person in many aspects and that is also enjoyed throughout your life.

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