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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave a senior civil service job for a senior role in consultancy?

148 replies

Nonotmeagain · 15/03/2023 16:15

I’m a senior civil servant and although I have a full on job that means long hours, I value the flexibility as I have a young daughter.

I’ve been offered a senior position in a consultancy firm. It pays 1.5 times my current pay. I am really worried that I will not have the flexibility I have in my current job in the civil service.

I want a change but would I be unreasonable to choose more money over flexibility and possibly impact on how I make time to spend with my daughter?

OP posts:
pinkbaglady · 15/03/2023 16:17

I just left the civil service to join private sector.

i was grade 6 (almost SCS 😂) and I’ve found the flexibility is not close to what the CS offered.

it’s ok and the money is better but you’ll be worked 10 times harder for that rise

skippy67 · 15/03/2023 17:19

I wouldn't. But I've been in the CS so long that I've become institutionalised 😅

Menopants · 15/03/2023 17:23

the Pension and the flexi keep me in the civil service tbh but that sounds like a massive wage increase

Menopants · 15/03/2023 17:24

The flexibility is even more important when they start school

fgdk · 15/03/2023 17:26

Well you've already gone a step further than me ha, I've said I will wait until my youngest is high school before going to SCS (only out of fear of loss of flexibility as school isn't close by) I understand your nervousness. Can you speak to those that work in the organisation you're going to to see how they rate it, is it client facing?

Rittersport · 15/03/2023 17:28

I worked in CS allied job (qango) years ago now in consultancy. The pace is very different. But flexibility is good. If you are very senior you might not see as much difference in terms of hours it's more what can you rinse out of the hours you have iyswim.

Sprig1 · 15/03/2023 17:28

I wouldn't. They want their pound of flesh out of you.

user1471459476 · 15/03/2023 17:29

Ex consultant here, the consultancy contract will probably state full geographic flexibility. You can be sent anywhere for any length of time, 6 months contract 500 miles away from home starting tomorrow. You will need a lot of support with young children to make that work. It also helps if you are based in London in an industry which is London centric. It improves the odds of where you will be working a bit.

Also the number of hours will be a lot more per day, evening working mostly required and weekends when needed. You’ll have more money but you’ll definitely earn it!

My experience was pre pandemic so involved a lot of travel. Don’t know if that’s still true but the hours will be the same

Ladymuck · 15/03/2023 17:30

Worth considering if there is an impact to your pension.
I suspect that it depends on whether you are in a client service role, or an SME type role, with the latter being more flexible.

Theelephantinthecastle · 15/03/2023 17:32

Have you run the numbers on pension? It depends on the private sector company but I found most places offered such a worse pension that the salary needed to be almost 1.5 X my CS salary to be worth it.

And annual leave as well if you would then need to pay for more holiday club

Twizbe · 15/03/2023 17:32

I used to be a consultant. When you say senior what type of grade?

On the flexibility point there are pros and cons

Pros

The whole thing is set up to allow flexibility. Long before covid we had everything we needed to work anywhere. Working from home or client site was the norm.

If you're between projects you can chill out a bit

Cons

You're at the mercy of your clients. If they want you at a desk in their office all the time then you do it. At senior levels (director and above) this isn't as common as you cost more and you'll likely book hours to several projects at once. At manager or senior manager level you could be there all the time.

At manager and above you start being measured on income generation so you will need to be booking hours to client and business development. It means any bench time you do have is often filled with bids which can be intense.

Original poster
Nonotmeagain · 15/03/2023 19:05

pinkbaglady · 15/03/2023 16:17

I just left the civil service to join private sector.

i was grade 6 (almost SCS 😂) and I’ve found the flexibility is not close to what the CS offered.

it’s ok and the money is better but you’ll be worked 10 times harder for that rise

😥That is what I fear. So what will you do now?

OP posts:
Original poster
Nonotmeagain · 15/03/2023 19:09

fgdk · 15/03/2023 17:26

Well you've already gone a step further than me ha, I've said I will wait until my youngest is high school before going to SCS (only out of fear of loss of flexibility as school isn't close by) I understand your nervousness. Can you speak to those that work in the organisation you're going to to see how they rate it, is it client facing?

It is client facing and requires bringing in new clients. It all sounds like the sort of thing I would enjoy but my daughter is only 11 and about to start secondary school. The money would be good but I worry that I’ll cheat my daughter of quality time for the sake of money.

OP posts:
bibbybox · 15/03/2023 19:10

what's the difference in the pension?

bibbybox · 15/03/2023 19:12

have you worked in the private sector before.

sazzt · 15/03/2023 19:14

Could you get it set up as a secondment? That should give you a relatively smooth path back if you don't like it in the private sector...

Original poster
Nonotmeagain · 15/03/2023 19:14

Twizbe · 15/03/2023 17:32

I used to be a consultant. When you say senior what type of grade?

On the flexibility point there are pros and cons

Pros

The whole thing is set up to allow flexibility. Long before covid we had everything we needed to work anywhere. Working from home or client site was the norm.

If you're between projects you can chill out a bit

Cons

You're at the mercy of your clients. If they want you at a desk in their office all the time then you do it. At senior levels (director and above) this isn't as common as you cost more and you'll likely book hours to several projects at once. At manager or senior manager level you could be there all the time.

At manager and above you start being measured on income generation so you will need to be booking hours to client and business development. It means any bench time you do have is often filled with bids which can be intense.

As a Director.

@Theelephantinthecastle thanks for the reminder about the pension. You are so right. With that you’ve almost talked me out of it. I’ll need to look at their pension offering but the CS pension is very valuable.

OP posts:
LoisLanyard · 15/03/2023 19:21

What kind of consultancy? The replies here refer to management consultancy. If you’re off to an engineering or environmental consultancy, as examples, it is different.

Original poster
Nonotmeagain · 15/03/2023 19:23

Management. Big 4.

OP posts:
Sunnyshoeshine · 15/03/2023 19:26

Going to follow this. Im a G6 CS and often wondered about switching to management consultancy as we work very closely with several of the big consultancies in my team. But I've only ever really worked in the CS and have a young family so have parked the idea until DC are nearer secondary age. But very interested on everyone's experiences!

Blossomtoes · 15/03/2023 19:27

My bloke worked for a Big 4 firm and left for mental health reasons. They were completely inflexible. He asked to be based in the UK only for a short time to deal with a family situation. They agreed and sent him to Barcelona for six months the following week.

The pension scheme was awesome though.

motherofkevinnotperry · 15/03/2023 19:32

You won't get the flexibility you have now but you can outsource more of your jobs due to your wage increase and you will probably need to. I've done both but currently CS, lower wage but better for family life. I will be going back to private sector once my DC are older simply because the pay in the CS is rubbish.

BCfan · 15/03/2023 19:34

If you need the flexibility then consultancy is not the place to be

Oncetheystartschool · 15/03/2023 19:34

Big 4 directors are expected to be in the market a lot, and most consultants are sector specialists so you go to your clients regardless of where they are located. Remote working options are vastly better post pandemic and firms are also looking to cut their emissions for sustainability reasons, but fundamentally consulting is a people business and that means face to face meetings.

Most directors and partners that I know work very long hours. The stress of having to meet sales targets, meet utilisation targets, meet cash and billing targets every month should not be underestimated if you're not used to it.

Neighneigh · 15/03/2023 19:38

I'm going the other way (albeit not as senior), out of consultancy and into civil service. The pension is above all the deal breaker in my "am I doing the right thing" internal head debate! You could consider a move within the civil service if you need a change?