Working in the Civil Service AIBU

[WellAlwaysHaveParis]

I’ll be starting a new job in the Civil Service soon, and I’d love to find out a bit about what it’s like before I start.

I got the job offer last month and won’t start until a couple of weeks’ time, so I’m now feeling really keen to finally start and get stuck in.

When I went for an interview at the department where I’ll be working, I really liked the culture and feel of the place.

Would love to hear from people on here who work in the Civil Service though, just so I know a bit about what to expect when I start :)

Also, if anyone has any tips about how I can be as effective as possible in the role from the start, that would also be hugely appreciated :) (I’d prefer not to mention the exact department or role on here, but it’s an entry-level
role).

Thanks :)

You might need to narrow down what you are going to be doing. There are around a third of a million people working for the Civil Service, so quite a variety of jobs!

I’ve worked for the Civil Service for nearly 13 years but, to be honest, it’s such a vast, varied organisation that I doubt I can give much meaningful advice or insight unless you happen to be joining my particular corner!

I think like any large organisation it can be a bit unwieldy - lots of bureaucracy at all levels and, because of a lack of investment in recent years, the IT systems can be very hit and miss. But I’ve had a very satisfying career here and would probably never go back to the private sector. There are a lot of opportunities and lots of different roles and areas to move into.

Best of luck with your new role.

I worked as an AA (admin asst) in a DIRC (district information retrieval centre) I spent all day filing or flirting. Very different to what the civil servants who work in Westminster do I would imagine!

I don't work for the civil service any more but when I did my dept was obsessed with stats . Unfortunately this led to quantity over quality a lot which was frustrating but we have to do what ministers dictate so couldn't be helped.

God yes the computer systems are well behind the times.

Thanks Netball and Calic0 :) it’s an entry-level role in the Department for Education, and I’ll be helping to draft Parliamentary Questions.

My friend is a civil servant and his job is caretaker of several local council leisure centres. Couldn't be more different to the roles TheJoyOfSox mentioned.

Roles vary greatly, as does each department. I would say though if your coming from a private company background be prepared for a bit of a culture shock!

My DSIL works as a contractor in the same (London) department as lots of other contractors who work among the civil servants, delivering particular projects.

Department of health. Once had an hour long meeting about how to organise keys in key safe

Don't expect promotion anytime soon. The type of work done by lower and lower grades is shocking. Saves the department money...........

villageshop somone who works for the local authority is not a civil servant. They work in the public sector but not the civil service.

I'll PM you later on today OP

Also if you work in Whitehall expect to be looked down on if you work on "delivery"

Think you will be drating parliamentary answers rather than questions. When I worked in CS the dept I managed did this and they were a pain. A certain Tony Blair asked lots and lots when in opposition.

Really if you’re going to be answering PQs, you will only be able to get up and running once you start - you need to develop a network of contacts and sources of information, but you can’t realky do that in advance.
Enjoy it! I’ve just returned to the civil service after a long career break and it’s- well, idiosyncratic and sometimes and in some ways incredibly slow-moving but simultaneously very fast-paced.

Think you will be drating parliamentary answers rather than questions.

Whoops, sorry Seniorcitizen1 yes you’re absolutely right - I meant drafting answers rather than questions

I worked at HEO level for a few years in the Home Office. Exactly the same role has recently been advertised at EO level! So as creambun said it’s getting harder and harder to progress. Also the centralised HR is spectacular in its slowness to get things sorted - it is an enormous organisation so to be expected I guess!

I worked at HEO level for a few years in the Home Office. Exactly the same role has recently been advertised at EO level!

Gosh mumtomaxwell - that’s good to know. Why is that? Is it because the government and Civil Service want to save money?

it’s an entry-level role in the Department for Education, and I’ll be helping to draft Parliamentary Questions.

Ah, that'll be SEO grade then .
Quasi-joking: One thing that won't necessarily be familiar to a new person in Whitehall-based depts is just how much grade drift has taken place (and how grade responsibility differs between depts). When I started 19 years ago, EO in a policy section gave the possibility of a decent bit of meaty policy work. In the last couple of sections I've worked in, it's been the basic admin grade (since c. London depts seem to have mostly got rid of AAs and AOs).

(Oh yes, and the other thing you'll find with civil servants is obsession with grade....)

Ooooh one of my best mates will be your boss OP

Maybe look at previous questions and answers to get a feel for the type of questions and style of answers.

Find out where the answers come from. A lot of information will be on the gov.uk website or from various public bodies. I work for a public body and have, on occasion provided information to help answer parliamentary questions.

My daughter has been a Policy Adviser at HMT for 6 years. She works very hard and it can be high pressure, especially before Budget. But she finds a lot of satisfaction in it as well as some frustration!

I only worked in the Civil Service briefly. But I absolutely loved it. And they were amazing when I was diagnosed with cancer only a few months in. I'd have definitely gone back if I'd been able to.

Good luck in your new job :)

Looks like I cross-posted with MtM.

I think there's various things been going on that could explain it. Historically, the entrance reqts (in terms of quals etc.) have lagged behind what non-CS required. When I started as an EO, it was after several years of applying for jobs requiring life science degrees. EO was/is a non-specific A-Level level entry. Even so, I was earning several £k more than most of the jobs I'd been applying for (the closest grad ones for salary really wanted a PhD).
The situation can only have got worse since the '90switness how many jobs generally ask for graduates that would have only needed O-Levels/CSEs a few decades backso in that sense it kind of makes sense to have your grads from decent universities spend their time logging invoices on a spreadsheet (one of my main tasks as an HEO). Even if it massively pisses off the spreadsheet-filler herself: I was doing more responsible work 15 years, 3 jobs and a promotion ago than I am now.