Help work in public sector and very bored

[cheeseisthebest]

I've worked in the public sector for 16 years and I'm desperate for a change.
I'm a manager and earn 40k full time but currently only work 30.hours.
I work from home which doesn't help as I miss my colleagues and having a change of scenery.
I used to love my job, working with families and children and loads of variety but now it's all spreadsheets, stats and team meetings!
Should I stick it out, try something else? I thought about doing something totally different like working for a bank or insurance company but is that transferable, do I have relevant experience? Or would I start at the bottom?
Or should I be trying to find something I'm passionate about?
I'm early 40s.

Thanks

I meant teams meetings!

Sorry that's all very badly written

Surely working for banking or insurance would be more of the same?
I also work for public sector, and my role sounds similar. I wfh full time and miss the people. I’m trying to find more things outside of work to fill the void.

I work in prof services, its pretty much the same.

Yeh I just thought might be more money in the private sector? But not if I would have to start again.
I do think the working at home is part of the issue too, it's quite soul destroying isn't it and your home stops being your sanctuary.

Be careful what you wish for. I was a civil servant and left twice, partly due to boredom but soon went back. The grass isn't always greener.

No perhaps not.

If what you loved was working with families and children, who on earth would you be looking at banking and insurance?!

Impossible to say whether you’d have to work your way up in a new industry as you haven’t said what you actually do. If your skills and experience are transferable to that industry, no, you won’t go in at the bottom.

I’d start by looking at whether I could get what I wanted with a move in my current organisation.

Yes I realised I was being totally contradictory!
Absolutely no movement in my current organisation, its very small, social care.
I guess financially anything to do with families will be low paid so if I'm stuck doing what I'm already doing would like to get paid more!! Does that make sense?
Im a team manager in social care at the moment.

Feeling the financial pinch like so many people

@cheeseisthebest

Yeh I just thought might be more money in the private sector? But not if I would have to start again. I do think the working at home is part of the issue too, it's quite soul destroying isn't it and your home stops being your sanctuary.

That’s a bit of a myth that public sector is poorly paid (and balanced with better pension, more holiday, more flexibility). It entirely depends on what you do. I know some public sector employees who’d hugely increase moving to private sector - and others who are frankly paid for old rope and get the shock of their lives elsewhere!

So don’t assume, but research.

Home being your sanctuary is more of a state of mind I think - you don’t have to quit to address that. I’ve been WFH a lot since years before Covid. Doesn’t bother me at all, my laptop is in sight all hours and I regularly jump on it at all hours. I love my job and whilst I do need a break from it - I don’t need sanctuary from it. I have a colleague who is very strict about moving all work things into a cupboard at home at the end of each day. She even winds up her power cable and puts it into her laptop bag! For her, that ritual is part of feeling that work is over and not in her home constantly. So whilst you figure out what you want to do, I think you should look at how you manage WFH too.

I don't think your issue is with the public sector but your current role. I'd look for another, but don't rule out the whole public sector!

I understand, your job doesn't sound very fulfilling at the moment. I wonder rather than thinking of changing sector (you could go to charity for instance but often not run as well) could you look for new roles within your body or in similar ones in the public sector? Partly because the public sector offers much more flexible working opportunities like part time and job shares (the latter are very rare now) and training and development and as someone in her late 50s I can see that the benefits of public sector pensions are completely enviable. You might not be that bothered about that right now but I've worked in similar fields and my friends are so jealous of the pensions I have accrued with generous employer contributions.

Otherwise you need to find friends and acquaintances in the private sector and ask them about what their actual work is like day to day, development opportunities etc. private sector companies can be very professional but they can also be cut throat, competitive and as poorly run as anywhere else.

Thinking about it all my friends and family work in voluntary or public sector!
I do put my computer etc away at night and don't really do any extra.

I used to have huge passion for my job so sad that I don't now

@cheeseisthebest

Thinking about it all my friends and family work in voluntary or public sector! I do put my computer etc away at night and don't really do any extra.

So if your job is boring (which sounds like it’s not particularly stressful) and you pack your kit away and don’t use it in the evening, why do you feel you need a sanctuary away from it? In the short term, I would really focus on that, because it’s potentially within your gift to change.

Social care is going to change a lot this coming year due to the increase in funding , in your position I would be looking at other opportunities for a move

I empathise - I feel similarly about my job and particularly since the pandemic and WFH. I long to do something new and exciting but am mindful of the points above about job security, flexibility and pension.

I find that when I can get into the office and see colleagues I feel much more positive and connected. I don't think I have a personality type that is suited to WFH and in the absence of human contact, I really start to question the meaning of my job/life. If your job is permanently WFH now could you look for something similar that would allow you to WOH?

Thank you, maybe sanctuary wasn't the right word. I would just like to be somewhere different for work so home is just home and I can looking forward to going home rather than being here 24/7!!!

Maybe take a look at social housing / housing associations. Still lots of opportunity for face to face, usually pay better with similar perks (apart from pension!)

I agree Rotherweird I think I'm much happier if I go in the office.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Maybe take a look at social housing / housing associations. Still lots of opportunity for face to face, usually pay better with similar perks (apart from pension!)

Thank you what would that involve?