A steady way to move your career forward

After 10, 15 or 20 years in your career, thinking about the next step does not always mean wanting to start again. 

You may value the security of your current role but still want more progression, better investment in training and development, the chance to lead larger projects or greater flexibility over your hours.

When restructures, budget pressures and slow recruitment cycles make those opportunities harder to find, secondment can offer another route: a way to use your skills differently without stepping away from the work that matters to you.

A new challenge without starting again

Secondment is often overlooked by experienced professionals. Some assume it will be short-term or uncertain. In reality, it can help you develop new skills, make new connections and explore a different role while still contributing to meaningful projects.

At Waterman Aspen, secondment does not mean being placed somewhere and left to get on with it. You have two layers of support: a client manager focused on day-to-day delivery within your secondment, and a Waterman Aspen manager focused on your development and wellbeing.

You also remain part of the Waterman Aspen team, with ongoing access to management, colleague socials and networking events so you stay connected wherever you are in the UK. Regular check-ins give you the opportunity to talk through how a secondment is progressing, training to help you succeed in your role, and what kind of opportunity should come next to align with your goals.

More variety, without losing stability

That support matters because many experienced professionals are not short of ambition. Progression can be hard when so much depends on factors outside your control. A role has to be created. A vacancy has to open. Funding has to be approved. A restructure has to settle.

Secondment offers a different route. Rather than waiting for the next internal opportunity, you can move into roles that match your skills, interests and ambitions. That might mean broadening your technical experience, stepping into project leadership or applying your knowledge to a different type of scheme.

And when a secondment ends, you are not on your own. Our recruitment team and wider management network work closely with you to find the next opportunity that fits your skills, circumstances and ambitions. For salaried colleagues the support continues, including pay between secondments.

Training & Development with a plan

Our people are our business, so career development is never an afterthought. From day one, colleagues have access to training and development, including support through partnerships with leading industry bodies. That might include working towards chartership, stepping into leadership or building confidence in a new technical area. 

The aim is to understand where you want to go next and help ensure each move supports that direction. 

Career support that fits real life

Public sector work can carry years of pressure and competing demands. Over time, that can affect energy and wellbeing. 

Waterman Aspen’s support is designed to reflect that. You have people you can speak to if your circumstances change, or if you need help thinking through your next step, and flexibility is part of that conversation. 

Some people want to push on into bigger challenges. Others may want to reduce their hours, rebalance work and home life or find a more sustainable rhythm later in their career. Those conversations are part of building a long-term career, not a sign of stepping back. 

See where secondment could take you

Sometimes the right move is the one that gives you better support and more room to grow. Secondment gives you a structured way to take that step. You can use the experience you have built, keep contributing to the sector you care about and explore new opportunities.