To consider giving up my cushy job

@Wherewhenwhathow as a current serving civil servant, I personally wouldn’t give up your current position. As a PP said, in terms of CS progression, you don’t get promoted in the traditional sense no matter how excellent your performance may be. You would have to apply in direct competition with external candidates for the next grade up. Also, sometimes the next grade up specific job you may have your eye on may never even get formally advertised if there are already staff in something called the redeployment hub.

Eg I was a HEO and had my eye on a SEO promotion into a specific part of the Civil Service that played best to my current skill set/interests. My manger and colleagues would constantly be urging me to go for promotion but the next grade up in my current dept would have been far too technical and challenging for me and I would just not have been able to do it.

However, in say dept X, I felt I could definitely do the SEO jobs that they had. But here’s the kicker, the CS has to run all jobs through a system which runs existing opportunities of all grades past people who for no fault of their own are currently without a posting. Often these would be because they’re are project staff and they’re awaiting their next project or other appropriate posting or because their team structure has changed and so they need to be matched up with something else based on transferable skills.

So the problem for me was that I was told that it was highly unlikely I’d ever get the chance to apply for my desired role as dept X SEO opps were one of the most popular ones to fill internally based on the fact there were always existing SEOs in the redeployment pool who would have the transferable skills required. Also there, is currently a political expectation that the CS will be tempering its recruitment of new staff as successive governments wish to reassure the voting public they are working to minimise CS costs and ideally shrink it rather than grow it - hence again the disinclination to advertise externally. Usually it’s the jobs that have quite expertise/technical skills usually in IT/software/specialised tax management etc that will get advertised externally since those are much harder to fulfill the requirements for internally. And even those again to minimise costs they will often be recruited on a temporary basis first.

So that’s just my insight and reasons why progression in the CS is not as straightforward as people think. Also, it’s no different to any other workplace - people are people everywhere. You get favouritism, people being given opportunities for development not shared with others on the team and in my experience gradeism is very much alive and kicking. I think people have too much of a rose tinted view of ‘CS has loads of opps for development’ and whilst perhaps in some depts you do, it certainly isn’t true for all and increasingly for the reasons I mentioned these aren’t as prevalent as before.

Personally, in your position with the higher wage for less hours and the amaking perks you describe (especially as at the CS you’d be expected to be in the office 3 days per week), I would request a 121 with your manager and request more challenging work/developmental opportunities first.

Keep your cushy job, sounds like you need a bit of simplicity. Plenty of time later for career

I suspect the Big 4s or something in Finance they then to pay a lot for their administrators/assistants

Your situations sounds a lot like mine with the cushy job and kids but I have LTB. Don’t give up your cushy job/perks now. I hear you about the mental simulation and needing a new challenge. the time will come with the right opportunity. If you’re already doing so much now due to your partner not being supportive, you don’t want to take on anything extra. Wait till the kids are abit grown then you can fly. There’s no age limit for success, don’t run yourself into the ground. That fire in your belly to do more will still be there. You are meant for more and you will do more. Timing is everything, good luck x

You are very unlikely to have room on starting salary as an external candidate though..Best of luck if you do go for it. Civil service has lots of development opportunities and easier to find jobs when already in post and internal and lots of roles only advertised internally or across government, so it's a foot in the door.

Depending on your experience and how quickly you pick.up role you could reasonably expect to start applying for roles within a year. Can't apply for govt jobs while on probation which lasts 6 months.

I wouldn’t do it.

I would use the extra time I have to find a hobby I like, make new friends, do something for myself.

I wouldn’t take the pay cut and commute longer and get paid less - that sounds like a waste.

You might be bored in your current role, but some days can be boring - your job is well paid, flexible and less commute. I don’t see why you would give that up because your DP isn’t great?

Being very nosey, what is your current industry? It sounds bloody fab!

Nothing to lose going for it and if they offer it to you, you could try and negotiate the salary up. If they want you, they might move closer to your current salary.

One note on progression. In order to progress in civil service only way is to apply and interview for roles , you don't just get promoted. That's why I would suggest thinking clearly about how your skills and experience match. If you can indeed map your experience to a higher grade, you will be in a stronger position to progress once you are in post as you will be further up the ladder and earning more.

I would go for it IF there was a clear promotion path and if be earning more within a couple of years

Is the plan to leave DH when DC are older and you don't need childcare support, or leave him when you have more money behind you? If it is, I'd say go for the job if you're confident it can lead to progression and increase in salary in the future.
If you don't think you will leave him in the future I would be inclined to keep the current job and enjoy the time with your DC whilst they're young and look for something else in a few years.

Hmmm I wouldn't with such young children and little help. What field are you in? Experience is valued but as you have that and you have a job, upskilling may be a better way to go. What about looking into some AI or cyber security type training, or a masters degree? There are a lot of distance learning options. Also, put as much as you can away for when/if you want to leave. Think about topping up your pension with AVC's if you can. If you are overpaid and underworked make it work for you, so you have money for when you want to move to a different role/leave DH etc. Are you really too old to do this in a couple of years when both DC's are in primary school? We are a looong time working!

If you need mental stimulation... find a hobby. Do a course. Start a side hustle.

Don't give up a cushy well paid job ... you might find yourself stressed to hell and wishing you hadn't.

No to this potential role however as you would like to do something more challenging maybe take some time to upskill with a course?

First post nailed it.

the fact your DH is crap and you’re stuck is the exact reason why you need to focus on YOU and your career progression and your long term career goals.

I wouldn’t do it for the challenge/not being bored. You can fulfil that in other ways and frankly most jobs still have a lot of boring bits no matter how exciting they may sound on paper.

I would do it for the potential for progression. If you’re going to end up single parenting, as sounds likely, a better paid future career path will be valuable . But as I said before, be sure that path definitely exists rather than just nice noises that never materialise or are only “dead mens shoes”.

Are you sure you are not applying for a job below your we experience and skills? Sometimes it can be hard mapping roles especially private sector to public sector.

Post on careers board to get advice from civil servants who can help. Could be that you identify a similar role but higher grade so you wouldn't have to compromise as much over pay.

If it has opportunity for career progression then absolutely go for it!

I'm very much a believer that life is for living. There's no point in just plodding along. That's boring.

Absolutely apply. If you get it then amazing, and if you don't, just keep looking, and in the mean time think of other challenges you can do outside of work.

I have ADHD, so need to keep my brain busy otherwise I feel miserable. I learn languages, go to sports activities (martial arts) and do other things I can progress in like learning a new instrument.

Good luck with your venture!

I think in your shoes I would at least apply and see how interviews go. Realistically you might not even get the job so then you don’t feel like you wasted an opportunity.

Given that your DP is useless and you have no help have you looked critically if you can get enough childcare and sickness leave? Are you planning to leave in the future and therefore need a career that pays better?

Could you take some of the time and flexibility afforded by your current job and use it to gain additional qualifications which enable you in time to move directly to a similarly or better paid job which is more stimulating for you? Or to do something not to do with work but that engages and fires up your brain - serious voluntary work, writing, learning a difficult new thing (e.g. language, musical instrument)? I think that is less risky at the ages your children are than the job move. I'm 51 and only recently took the step up that reflects my qualifications, experience and yes, capacity so don't panic.

I’d not change a well-paid cushy job to a lower paid one. Why don’t you do something in your spare time that would give you more of a challenge?

Could you use the extra hours this new job would take up to do a course or a Degree which you could use in the future to get a better job with similar money to what you are on now ?