Civil service - pros and cons

[RainyDay]

On another note, there can be a huge cultural change between the Private sector and the public sector. Particularly if you are used to working in a fast moving high tech industry. From my experience, often there is a lot of red-tape arbituary budgets and wastage both time and monatory. It takes a long time to initiate change and the current buzz term Value for Money (VFM) often leads to decisions that are good on paper but hard to put into practise. I know I was left feeling very frustrated after my short exposure to the Public sector.

This doesn't reflect my experience having moved from a high-tech multinational to a small state agency last year. Yes, there is bureacracy in the public sector, but it genuinely doesn't seem to be any worse that what I experienced in the multi-national environment. Approval cycles from senior management can be extended, but that happened in the multi-national world too.

 

[Purple]

This doesn't reflect my experience having moved from a high-tech multinational to a small state agency last year. Yes, there is bureacracy in the public sector, but it genuinely doesn't seem to be any worse that what I experienced in the multi-national environment. Approval cycles from senior management can be extended, but that happened in the multi-national world too.

Do you think it would be different if you had moved from a small private company to a large state agency?

 

[Cyrstal]

I moved from the private sector to the public sector and am on the same money I was on in the private sector as I am here!! Except I get 10 more holidays and flexi time. I also have 3 hours less working hours a week.
With regards to money, It depends what grade you start on - I started on quite a high up grade because of my experience in the Private Sector.

The job is MUCH more interesting than the job I had in the private sector!

They don;t pay Health Insurance - but then a lot of Private companies don't these days either!

In my case - I'm really happy with the move, and would hate the idea of going back to the Private Sector! However, as some of the other posters have said, some of the roles would not be for me - but I'm working in the area I have a degree in, and the area that I had 7 years experience in the Private Sector.

Working for the Public Sector will only work if you are working in a job you enjoy and are getting paid fairly for - the same applies to the Private Sector I s'pose!

 

[legend99]

AP level or equivilent so i assume cyrstal as you're hinting at 30 days annual leave? (i.e. assuming 10 extra over the norm of 20 in private sector)

 

[Cyrstal]

AP Level?? Don't know what that means.

31 days leave!

 

[legend99]

AP = Assistant Principal level in the general service grades of the civil service.

 

[CMCR]

The civil service is worth considering, depending on what you want.

If you are intending to embark on a career in that job - I would argue you are probably wasting your time entering at that level. You will be free of course to enter certain inter-departmental competitions and open competitions and depending on how you get on, you may move up the line. There is fierce competition for positions however, and panels can be very slow to move.

You should also bear in mind if you do get promoted through an open competition, you may not be guaranteed that you will remain in Castlebar. Given decentralisation, you might be moved to a location you don't particularly want.

Work at clerical level can be interesting - but it is often a basic administrative role. Then again, I have come across many staff at that level who work in interesting areas in various teams/divisions where they are fully involved in working on various projects. It depends on what you are doing and the role/responsibility of that particular division.

While you may be overqualified for the role you are considering - you will find that many people in the civil service have third level and professional qualifications.

Working in a family-friendly environment is a positive one, flexi-time is a significant bonus and there is encouragement (financial and time off) granted for certain types of study/training etc. You are also on a transparent pay scale, obtain the benefit of partnership/benchmarking pay increases and will be entitled to paid sick leave from work.

All in all, it's worth weighing everything up and making a final decision on the basis of what will suit you and make you happy.

 

[Magoo]

AP Level?? Don't know what that means.

31 days leave!

So you're not in the CIVIL service. Big difference.

You don't necessarily get a chance to use your expertise in the CS.

 

[RainyDay]

Do you think it would be different if you had moved from a small private company to a large state agency?

My experience in smaller private companies is a bit dated. While they did seem less bureaucratic, they had other substantial disadvantages. Quality of management skills was generally low. Job security wasn't great. Benefits such as pension/health insurance were non-existant.

 

[Cyrstal]

So you're not in the CIVIL service. Big difference.

You don't necessarily get a chance to use your expertise in the CS.

Ooppps....I'm in the PUBLIC service, I was just pointing out some differences between the PUBLIC(which does include the CIVIL service Magoo) and the Private sectors. I don't think any of my points were invalid! I did say that I enjoyed my job BECAUSE I got the use the experience I had had previously - I didn't say that everyone gets to use their previous experiences.

 

[tallpaul]

So you're not in the CIVIL service. Big difference.

You don't necessarily get a chance to use your expertise in the CS.

Care to back that assertion up with some evidence??

 

[bleary]

. I read in the paper that there was over 2000 applications for 45 positions in Castlebar so there must be something in it alright .

A lot of companies Volex ,contact partners etc have closed down in castlebar in the last few years, there really isnt an awful lot of job oppurtunities down there @ the mo and the work that is there is not the most secure ( a lot of contracts etc) also wages are lower there
People I knew who were working for years were on low low twenties salaries
I know half of mayo seemed to be applying for the clerical officer jobs because with shift allowance the salary was a big improvement and also no chance of redundancy.
Have you ever worked in a call centre -this sounds a bit like that without the stress ..
You will be taking the details from guards and entering it into the system .
Could you look for an IT job in the civil service because if you dont like this one it can take years for a transfer.

 

[dubinamerica]

Back on line after my recent house move and am now all hooked up : ) Anyhow - I have been offered the position in GISC in Castlebar and am still weighing up everything about this . I am very interested in the whole idea of working for the public sector but the one big negative here is the whole shift rota pattern - 40 hours per week , with there being 8 hour shifts , so that seems v. long and could be very exhausting. I would love to know how flexible they are on this so if anyone has any first hand experience of working there please update (or send me a message). I will keep you posted as to what I end up doing and if I go ahead and accept what it is like.

 

[thewatcher]

Back on line after my recent house move and am now all hooked up : ) Anyhow - I have been offered the position in GISC in Castlebar and am still weighing up everything about this . I am very interested in the whole idea of working for the public sector but the one big negative here is the whole shift rota pattern - 40 hours per week , with there being 8 hour shifts , so that seems v. long and could be very exhausting. I would love to know how flexible they are on this so if anyone has any first hand experience of working there please update (or send me a message). I will keep you posted as to what I end up doing and if I go ahead and accept what it is like.

If you think your going to find a job with less than 8 hour shifts,then good luck to you bar maybe a part time job and they only pay buttons.
Just remember jobs and especially civil service jobs are not 10 a penny in castlebar and many people will bite your arm off to get that job.
The public service is very flexible once your in it, i know you say your over qualified but a word of warning don't think you'll get any special treatment in respect of starting conditions because of that.
Take the job and see how you like it,you can always leave if you don't like it,jobs like that won't come around too often,most people have to go to dublin for years before they can get home.

 

[dubinamerica]

Hey - I actually meant that the 5X8 hours is a a pain - I think I'd prefer a longer stint so as to have the additional time days off to recoup. I hear what you're saying about the flexibility and to take it to try out alright. It's mainly the shift hours prospect that has me concerned as in some cases there's only 8 hours between shifts (so not much time for sleeping or anything else !!) . I am new to Mayo so don't have experience of job hunting in this area to date. I have read however that there were over 2000 applicants for these positions so there was obviously a lot of interest and that may be an indication of the level of difficulty of getting a job in the area. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Magoo]

Care to back that assertion up with some evidence??

Just saw this now.

Agencies operating in the wider public service (e.g. semi states) have more freedom and flexibility to recruit directly to positions available. So, for eaxample, if the semi-stae has a vacancy in a Finance or IT Section, it can seek to recruit a person with the required qualifications and/or experience.

The Civil Service, on the other hand, applies more of a "one size fits all" approach to recruitment and placement. If for example you have a degree in law, you may find that on the day you turn up to start as say an Executive Officer, the vacancy is in the HR section and this is where you will be assigned. You will of course, be given every opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to perform your new role effectively, but if it was your belief that the CS would afford you the opprtunity to usefully apply your legal skills, you may find yourself disappointed.

There are exceptions, of course. There are often jobs advertised for accountants or legal advisors but these are exist separately to the general, administrative grades and your opportunity to progress from these specialist grades will be limited.