To ask how you've reached a high salary? 50k+

Of course, I started as an administrator in a fairly boring department band 3 temporary contract. Opportunity around for a team leader in that office and I was successfully appointed. A while later I then covered a band 6 maternity leave, however they paid me as a band 5 (which looking back I was totally screwed over, I did all the band 6 duties but accepted band 5 pay as I was desperate for the opportunity to learn and develop and obviously, increased banding). The maternity cover was really my first foray into operational management as deputy operational service manager. In that role I micromanaged the waiting lists, cancellations and various reports for national performance KPI benchmarking etc, theatre scheduling meetings, reducing clinic dna times/improving waiting times etc

from that I saw a job advertised as a band 6 in a different trust doing essentially the same job I was already doing, but in a different specialty. I rang the new trust and spoke to the hiring manager to understand a bit more about the challenges of that department and how things ran. I also went and visited. I then got that job as I’d honed the skills during the maternity cover role, and really researched the new specialty and what my job would look like there.

I then found a very similar operational job at another Trust but a band 7. Assistant directorate manager this time. Applied for that (again, rang the recruiting manager and had a pre meet with some of the team ahead of interviews) and did that for 2 years or so.

I moved organisations again for Directorate Manager role for a different specialty again. After 18 months the job got rebanded as an 8b in recognition of scope and scale. Stayed there another 2 years or so.

moved to my most recent trust for a new specialty again 12 months ago.

my advise in NHS management is seek any and all opportunities to develop, there’s so much support in house and external for courses, go above and beyond to understand different aspects of specialties or functions within the NHS. If you apply and get an interview for another job always always always contact the recruiting manager for a pre chat/visit, it really helps you understand the role and tailor your responses in interviews appropriately. Finally, have a look if your organisation has a mentor program. Or if you’re really interested in Operational Management look into Proud2bOps network, they have a mentor programme and weekly development teams meetings with various speakers.

I have a degree but no masters, no official courses either. I’ve been really fortuitous with experiences and opportunities and various supportive managers who’ve encouraged me! I like to do the same for others.

That's not my experience of ctu all the managers I've met so far are really helpful, yes some of the learning is boring at times but hopefully it will all come together and everyone in my office seems pretty positive most of the time

I've no idea what the TSP is or why hiring trainers would be a bad thing.

If looking in an internal jobs board is considered to be a problem, then it's time to look on external jobs boards.

It's HMRC CTU - 11 out of 10 times the boss is a bully, and incompetent. Hell, right now, HMRC are hiring people to be trainers for the TSP and I just know how it'll turn out for the trainees.

"I'm ambitious and curious as to the possible career progression paths. I thought I'd check the jobs board with an eye to upskilling in the relevant areas."

It really shouldn't be a problem, unless your boss is a bully.

I hope you told him you're just looking at what you need to develop for the future and you've no intention of leaving at this time. Just you want to ensure future development opportunities are relevant etc.

I hope you told them that you are looking for progression opportunities, that you enjoy your current job but want to stretch yourself, take on additional responsibility and develop your career.

You need to make sure your manager knows that you are looking and thinks if you when they hear of opportunities, so that they are able to support you.

What are you looking for? I've been in the CS long enough to know you can't have the perfect pick of location, policy area, and salary. Only 2 out of 3 is achievable. And I'd go further to say HEO is entry-level for graduates so anything at HEO is relevant for you at this moment.

You can do anything from International Trade to working in CO with Ministers. Think about your core skills and how you can apply them to the behaviours asked - are you London based? as I'm sure I can find good HEO (or SEO) posts for you to apply for.

I've just logged into my CS jobs account and there are 54 HEO vacancies available within 10 miles of me. Perhaps not all of them would be suitable for you, and possibly your location is different - but the vacancies refresh all the time. You can set up an alert when a new job is added. You should also look at SEO and G7 opportunities.

Have you registered to access internal jobs as an existing civil servant? The roles available to internal candidates are much wider than those advertised externally.
I am a G6 at HMRC and have offered to help you several pages back, but it feels as though you just want to step into a well paid job. They are there, but you need to have a plan to get there. The Civil Service is a great place to work with lots of interesting jobs that pay over £50k, plus a good pension and flexible working. HMRC alone has something like 60,000 staff, it is a huge place - there are jobs in your own organisation that you probably have no idea even exist.

If you are currently earning more than you ever have and are only 2 months into your civil service role, I would stick it out for 2 years.

You will get an annual increase in pay even if you don't change role.

But within 2 years (UK may have different rules to Ireland on length of service required), you should be able to apply internally for promotion.

And there may be other open competitions you qualify for before that but with your current CS experience, it helps to get that higher level role. And you learn the lingo in the meantime as well.

Take advantage of the training opportunities too - for your current job, for jobs you would like to move to, and personal development/leadership type courses. You should be able to do those in your current role, getting ready for other opportunities (in or out of the CS).

I did my masters in Occupational Therapy. Fine art degree is surprisingly helpful in this field. I then worked in mental health as Band 5 and progressed into specialist physical health service at band 7. I have a pretty awesome job, fully remote and very low management involvement.
There are now apprenticeships in OT and physio so have a look at those if you don't fancy doing masters.

I think you are asking the wrong questions and not focussing enough.

If you just want a job that pays £50k plus with no thought as to whether you will enjoy it or if it fits with your skills then this will not be sustainable.

The odd thing is you work for the civil service - there is a pretty well defined career and promotion pathway - have you investigated that? Look at the competancies needed for the SEO/G7 roles and work out how you can get there. You may need to consider departmental moves.

If you want to earn more quicker then as people have said you may need to consider leaving the CS and then coming back at a higher level.

I work for a non CS public body and earn roughly the equivilent of G6/G5 salary. Non CS public bodies can be less hierarchical and easier to progress in, but they often need more niche technical skills. Also the pensions are often not as good, so it is a trade off.

I started in retail on minimum wage when I was 17, with nothing in terms of qualifications.

Got promoted a few times (still shit pay, - 95p per hour above minimum wage, and then a £20k salary - but I was gaining management experience), then took a job managing a warehouse for a different retailer on £24k. I got really good results (because I worked my ass off!) and was given a bigger warehouse to manage (30k) and then a supermarket to manage (£46k) My job already involved overseeing lots of different functions, but I really dug into the ones I wanted to make my specialty - recruitment, employee relations, payroll, H&S. I did as much training as the company would offer, watched all the videos no one else did, and read a lot in my spare time! I helped all the peers I could by giving advice, taking on extra ER cases and hearing the trickier appeals and HR really became my area of expertise.

I leveraged that experience to land a job as an HR manager for a tech company for almost double the salary (£85k) - I found the work really easy compared to what I was used to but it was interesting working in a corporate environment. I also really worked on my 'brand' - networking, building my LinkedIn/posting regularly and completing an HR qualification alongside working, and after a year of that was approached by a headhunter looking for someone to head up the EMEA People team for a tech startup based in the US which was branching out. I took the job despite the risk of working for a startup (£140k) and then the following year negotiated a pay bump (£210k) and role change to running EMEA Operations as my role already encompassed overseeing lots of other functions (finance, real estate) but I wasn't getting credit for it.

This job I'm in now was somewhat a fluke - the salary is so high because US salaries are generally higher and what I earn matches counterparts in the States. I also have taken home large bonuses the last 2 years because the company is doing very well. But overall I knew from the start of my career this was the general direction I wanted to take it - I wanted to earn lots of money in tech, without needing to learn to code! I also had my wonderful son around the halfway point and nursery fees almost made me drop out of the rat race, so I needed to earn more ASAP which was a big motivator - to buy a house solo in the area I grew up would've needed a 100k+ salary which also spurred me on.

If 19/20 interviews result in rejection then you are not interviewing well.

I am anti-social, I don't go to drinks or parties, I don't have loads of work friends though I am friendly and professional with my colleagues, I went to a bog standard comprehensive, have no rich family members or contacts and don't have any qualifications beyond A-Level.

None of that has prevented me from progressing, I get the jobs I interview for, if you don't then you need to critically assess your performance in interviews.

Can I ask in what field you started off as band 5? I’m a band 3 and trying to figure out how to move up. I’m a MSW and also have a Fine art degree which I’ve done nothing with!

I'm 39, and a clinical psychologist earning circa 60k (top of NHS band 8a salary). It's taken 8 years of uni including an undergraduate degree, an MSc and a PhD to qualify, and I've been qualified for 9 years now. Hoping to be in a consultant post (band 8c, circa 70-80k) in the next 5 or so years. It's been a LOT of hard graft along the way (academically as well as practical experience on the job), and the job itself can be intense and emotionally draining, and as an unqualified and trainee psych I spent many years earning below 30k (initially even below 20k) just to gain the relevant experience for uni and career progression. All that said, I do love it and can't imagine doing anything else.

@Anniedash you are misinformed. My training for my role as a tax professional was longer than my degree with many more exams. It’s hardly a promotion out of nowhere or just a ‘pay rise’.

The public sector has suffered pay cuts in real terms after years of no pay rises at all. We don’t get bonuses.

Can I ask what you started as? I’m a MSW and a band 3. Not sure how I can progress up the bands without having to retrain…

The number of replies on here from public sector (not teachers) saying how they are getting pay rises and bonuses would make you think that we have an amazingly efficient public sector. When productivity and effectiveness of the public sector has never been worse.

No wonder the country is up the creek, borrowing billions and taxing private sector into the ground to keep this Ponzi scheme. Except now stagflation is kicking in and the well is running dry.