The processes of career development of secretaries have been changing with greater mobility particularly at the SES level, and with more external appointments of agency heads. While the majority of secretaries are still people with a long career in the APS, there is an increasing proportion with other lengthy experience, whether in state public services or in private or non-governmental organisations (mostly with close involvement with government). This trend is widening the background, perspectives and skill sets of secretaries.

At the same time, as mentioned in Chapter 2, the trend since the 1980s to require secretaries to be both managers and policy advisers has perhaps led to some convergence of styles and skills. There seem to be fewer mavericks or characters with highly specialist skills or individual styles (whether an Ian Castles or a Pat Lanigan—the enigmatic Director-General of Social Security in the late 1970s). Everyone is expected to be a manager today, perhaps at the cost of fewer top policy analysts among the secretaries’ group.