Anyone in professional services job hunting at the moment?

[Treatingmyself]

I’m hardly finding any jobs! I don’t want to stay where I am currently as it’s a mess and further redundancies are coming. I’m even contemplating looking to move into the private sector.

We have a recruitment freeze on until the end of the year (large city uni); others might be doing the same…

Should be some more coming up in January - I find very few people want to hand their notice in this close to Christmas, but then the thought of going back to the same old shite hits hard on NYE and there’s usually a raft of resignations. Best of luck!

I want to leave but stuck here due to the semblance of a work/life balance and half-decent pay, but the job pressure is horrendous.
So many different issues with students and their ever increasing and unrealistic reasonable adjustment needs, which student services seem to think I can magic up out of my arse on demand. Some needy academics unable to help themselves.
The general entitlement of the students and the ever increasing demand as the result of student surveys, it is all just too much.Good luck with your job hunt!

There are no jobs in my specialism anywhere in the country at the moment!

What I can't forgive our executive team and VC for is a huge and unnecessarily cruel PS restructure on top of everything else. We are not valued at all. I'd jump ship for that reason if there was anywhere else to go and I'd not stand a chance of getting anything in the private sector.

I feel so very sorry for our students as our support and PS has gone to shit. They're a lovely bunch and grateful for any support but there's no staff left and they've drastically cut our service to the bone through VS.

I do have flexibility but it’s so hard working in an environment that’s been cut to the bone. No resources, high demand. I’m fed up.

Is there any option for you to take voluntary redundancy? I did that last summer and have not looked back. I had 21 years service so got a decent pay out, and got a job in the civil service. Wouldn't ever go back to university PS, I didn't realise how demoralising and energy sapping it was until I left!

@JasmineIndigo not yet but I’d seriously consider it when it opens.
What type of role did you find in the civil service?

Careful what you wish for though. The grass isn't always greener. I got a promotion going from one RG Uni to another and it's not great. I'm waiting it out a reasonable amount of time before I look again...

@SapphOhNo oh dear. Was it similar role?

It's an EO policy role, paid slightly higher than my university PS job but far less stressful! I will say though it seems to be really competitive to get into the civil service at the moment - I has 16 unsuccessful applications before I finally got to an interview stage. I think there are a lot of people looking for stable jobs at the moment, but it is worth persevering. Good luck whatever you decide to do :)

@JasmineIndigo glad to hear you found something better paid. I think the civil service is competitive and also redundancies going on there.

It was a promotion within the same area of HE ive worked in for 12 years. The new university is just so behind on everything process, system and policy wise and weirdly in some ways I have less responsibility...but not in a good way. Tough to articulate without being too outing.

Definitely wish id have stayed put though.

@SapphOhNo
I am sorry to hear that!!
But it’s so hard to know what it’s really like isn’t it, at some point you’ll have to take a risk unless you stay working somewhere forever.

I took VR in July after a huge restructure at the university I’d worked at for more than 20 years. Very toxic environment from an institution that likes to talk about how caring it is - I’m sick of seeing those that engineered the “transformation” all backslapping each other on LinkedIn about how wonderful they are.

I’m currently temping at another university doing the same sort of role though at a lower grade. I’m going to start looking in the New Year but in the private sector as well as. Nothing in my area at the moment at other institutions.

I'm looking, but not having much joy at the moment. I left a PS job earlier this year for an NHS PS role, but am keen to move back into HE at the end of my current contract - it's a better use of my skillset and my research background. But the current hiring freezes are really noticeable - there are just so few jobs to apply for, and I read this about how the LSE had a thousand applicants for an entry level job, and it's really worrying. I'm not saying 'don't move', but really would stress that the grass isn't always greener!

Thanks all. It is food for thought.