What would you do?

[GRMA]

Can I ask what would you do if you were in this position?

Background: I've worked for an organisation for 17 years, 14 in the data processing department and 3 as a PA to 4 managers on a temporary promotion (TP). This promotion has been both financially and personally rewarding as it is very challenging mentally.

Dilemma: The organisation has decided that everyone on TP must apply for the job in order for it to be made permanent; if they are not successful, they will be returned to their previous position.

Now over the years I have tried many many times for promotion (Civil Service) and never been successful, my fear is I will apply and I won’t get the job and have to return to a job that I did not find challenging or even interesting as they are only concerned with STATS.

It has been suggested that if I do not apply or am not offered the Permanent Position, I have four choices.

Option 1: I could be offered to do the PA Role but at the lower rate of pay I was in before the TP,

Option 2: I could stay as the Underdog PA and help the New Higher-Grade PA,

Option 3: Take it on the chin and go back to processing

Option 4: (My family’s choice) look for a new PA job with a different company

I don't know what option to choose, BUT I do know I don't want to quit and look for another job because I just took out a mortgage.

I suppose I might look at it from the perspective that if I applied, I could actually get the job. I am not sure in this assumption, because the Sift method is being outsourced, and six other PAs in the organisation around the country were not successful in retaining their roles and have opted to return to their previous roles.

All this to worry about whilst I am moving house my head is smashed ☹

I don’t think that you’ve got any choice other than to apply for the PA position. Although 4 years sounds like a very long time for a temporary promotion and I’m surprised that the length of time that you’ve done this role for doesn’t give you some sort of protection?

In terms of applying for the job surely you can write an excellent application and could interview really well as you can demonstrate all relevant skills and competencies as you’ve been doing the job for 4 years? So I think you are in a different position to previous applications.

If you don’t get it then you need to consider your options. It’s probably sensible to stay in the Civil Service and look for a PA post elsewhere.

A lot would depend on what pay you were offered to do 1 or 2. Also how does that compare to what you are on now and also what your original data processing role pay was.

I would apply for the job and hope I got it. If not-I would compare the pay of the roles like I said above and go from there, whilst looking for jobs externally. You don’t have to decide anything now, but be fully armed with all information and see what else is out there.

Go for the promotion! Do lots of preperation for the interviews, write down all your examples and cover all the competencies (if your civil service uses competencies). I went for permanent promotion to a role after being in the role temperarily for 6 months and got on the panel above people who had been doing it for ages so you never now. It's all in the preperation! If you don't get it you can figure that out after the interview

The first thing is to at least apply for he role, and if you don't get it, weigh your options then. I'd be asking your line manager for help with the application process if you're struggling (if they're on the panel, even better). You've been doing your role for 3 years so there shouldn't be any questions that come up that you can't answer - you just need to prepare well and hit all those important behaviours (or whatever they're called).

I went through this 4 times over about 15 years. The first time I got royally screwed. Each time after that as soon as I got wiff of the idea I'd be looking for other jobs on the same banding or 1-2 up and applying for everything. Any additional interviews will give you interview practice and as I did twice, you might just find yourself a better job out of the process.
The system stinks, but you are good at your job else you wouldn't have been there this long. Take some confidence in yourself and fight for the right role for you... which may or may not be the current job. I'd try to stay within civil service initially if you have all the benefits given your service - but don't be afraid to take the plunge if need be!

The pay gap is about £4,500 a year. I'm seriously considering applying, and crossing each bridge, I've been aware that this could be coming up in 2021, so in preparation I believe I've written some excellent competencies, I suppose I must have confidence in myself even though I don’t have confidence in the process/system.

Option 1 is what I'd go for.

I'd also spend some £ on interview coaching with someone experienced bin civil service. That would be money well spent.

Good luck OP x

Are there decent opportunities for promotion? As in if you don't get this one would another be likely to arise in the next few months? If I was you, I would go for the promotion and do all the research and preparation you can. If you don't get it, ask for feedback and arm yourself more by knowing where you went wrong this time. I get this might not be ideal if opportunities are few and far between.

When you are interviewed pretend you have never met the people interviewing and assume they know nothing about your skills and abilities and the tasks you have been doing.
Tell them ALL the little details as they can only give you points if you actually say it out loud.
Don’t say, ‘as you know’ ; tell them the whole process

I had to appoint a much less experienced person as they gave all the answers and the vastly more experienced person kept missing out huge chunks of the answer. We knew they knew but they had to say it out loud to get the points

It sounds like the interview process is exactly that - a process that you need to learn. I'd put all my focus into interview preparation- ask for help from anyone you feel can contribute, and fingers crossed you get the role.

Apply. If you don't get it, take the lower job while looking for a better job.

Thank you all for your sound advice it is very much appreciated x

As mentioned before it's a process. The soft is looking for specific words defined in the success profiles. It's a check box activity.
Here's all of the success profiles. Have a look at the ones relevant to the promotion grade and draft your statement and commence examples accordingly:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Sorry for the typos! *sift and competencies.