(Relatively) new to the Civil Service - AIBU to ask about career progression and other more general advice please?

[ImSuchABigIdiot]

Started an entry-level (EO) Civil Service job a couple of months ago. I’m enjoying it so far, although it can be quite stressful.

Aany tips on career progression and any other general advice about working in the Civil Service?

Thanks!

The civil service is moving towards regional hubs @argumentative. So there's a high chance of having to at least do 1 placement in a regional hub.
However you may never have to and the civil service do take into account personal circumstances when deciding placements.

In my opinion I would grasp out of London placements with open arms, they're a great opportunity and departments have or are leaving London so soon the work will be in other cities and towns as well as London.

Thank you siwel123 that's really helpful to know! Think I'm just going to push myself and encourage myself to try as many new and scary things as possible - I've only got one life and I can't spend it all living with or near my mum unfortunately! 😂

Well done pushing yourself is the way forward, don't worry i wish I could have my mum to help to.. Life would be bliss .

Once on the scheme, keep pushing even if it get hates and get yourself on whatever courses or opportunities are given to you. Try get meet ups with other fast streamers to as you can bounce stuff of each other.

Once you've completed do not sit still for a moment and keep moving areas of possible as you may find you fall to the side a bit if you stay in one place forever

Thanks so much for your advice, everyone! This is all so helpful.

At the moment, I’m finding it hard to balance accuracy with speed (still fairly new to my role) and finding it quite stressful.

More senior colleagues (who are managing my team but are not my line manager) will tell me to leave when my contracted hours finish even though I’ve still got work to do. I do hand over this work to other colleagues who I’m working with who are contracted to stay later, but I worry that I look incompetent because of this, if I’m only working at EO level but still can’t finish some of my work during contracted working hours. Should I ask my line manager for guidance about this?

I would ask for help yes.
If you aren't completing tasks you should then it is good to ask for help and a bit of advice or even a reduced paid while you find your feet.

In the civil service we're very focused on work life balance and it can be odd to stay for even a minute after your working hours , but if you need to then you could stay back for a bit. Any longer then an hour though and Jesus they will send a rescue team for you

I think the overtime is only expected at the higher grades, where it's unpaid. Lower down it IS paid (at least in my area) so actually if a more junior colleague works overtime then it's going to impact on the budget. Best to talk to your LM to find out what to do.

I think the overtime culture also varies by team and department. Flexibility certainly exists, but IME there's also an expectation of significant overtime.

Are the work environment/ atmosphere within the intelligence sectors quite aggressive? Coming from a retail background where its normal to get shouted at by managers and people swear openly, is it similar?

Nope there's no violent and bullying behaviour allowed in my opinion.
Every department indifferent but the civil service are hot to deal with bullying.

Civil Servants don't need to swear, we're just very cutting in a quiet, emotionless voice instead. There are ways to express displeasure which everyone understands, but which are very polite.

This is a humorous site, but it's pretty accurate:
www.civilservant.org.uk/misc-humour-mandarin1-2.html

You do get the odd person with anger management issues, but it's infrequent. Have heard more swearing since the referendum, but not at colleagues.

Thanks poll that website had good stuff in there

Thank you Wigeon

Ok next question... does anyone have any thoughts on working culture at BEIS or DCMS?

Hi,
I am SEO from AO in less than two years without any internal schemes such as BAME, PAP etc. If you demonstrate your work equally with your genuine passion it will surely be recognised by your seniors and you could get some good opportunities to tread along. But if you belive you could deliver at a level above then do not wait for promotions!. Keep a lookout on new job openings within CS for higher levels and apply. If you get it great, if not, you'll learn as to what to improve for your next application. Hope it heps.
Regards,
L3GEND

Just resurrecting this thread to ask how things are going with COVID work at your departments? I really want to help the COVID effort as I can see there are a few years to go yet and like everyone else I have very little time at the moment due to COVID impact on my current job (I recognise I am lucky to have a job..) but I’ve been applying for a few CS things as I very much want to contribute and want the challenge.
However the success profiles thing completely baffles me. What is the difference between my CV and employment history, for example?. I feel a bit annoyed that they say these jobs are open to non civil servants and then seem want a unique way of presenting my info on the application form that isn’t explained at all by generic colourful wheels of what a success profile is. Due to submission dates and lack of time I have just fired off some quick things but now I realise i probably won’t get anywhere and it was pointless.
I understand the point of competency based interviewing. I really don’t understand the point of this change. I am just kicking myself because they probably won’t accept what I’ve written and I do have skills to bring.

Should I email the recruiting dept and explain or will that look mad? Are they more lenient In their sift as they must have recently changed to this model?

Sorry to gripe. Just wondering, did they not user test success profiles on some non-civil servants first? And why not write a decent explainer if they genuinely do want non CS candidates to apply?