AIBU to discourage DC from entering public sector careers?

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DD17, DD14 and DS12 have all been talking a lot about jobs they’d like to do lately. They are all very different fish, 2 very academic girls and one creative but not so book smart DS. Their schools to introduce a broad range of careers, but their teachers (understandably) seem to know more about public sector roles such as teaching, legal aid law and health professions (there’s a special ‘get into medicine course DD was encouraged to do).

When I started out, there were good options for people looking to work in the public sector. I headed into a helping profession in a Local Authority (but struggled with the inflexibility and have since moved into private practice). Friends were looking forward to careers in medicine, teaching and the civil service. A couple were pretty snobby about the moral superiority of public sector roles ( I remember an physio friend asking a trainee actuary friend how they got up each morning with such a boring job). Others headed into law, banking, consultancy etc. We were all very well educated and had many options.

However, at 45, things have all come out in the wash, and (with a few exceptions, notably two doctors who are independently wealthy, and a diplomat), those who chose private sector jobs are not just much wealthier but also seem to enjoy more flexible, varied roles and just seem happier in their work. Friends in the public sector complain that they are burnt out, struggling financially and stuck in their jobs with few other options.

AIBU to at least encourage DC to consider that public sector careers might not be the best idea any more? Obviously, they’ll choose what they choose, but to me, the difference between private and public sector roles (especially in London/SE) nowadays seems pretty stark.

Private all the way! And change jobs every 3 years or so during the early part of career, will keep increasing salary that way.
Invest in a good private pension from the beginning.

But most of all, they should strive to find something they are really interested in.

But I would definitely not encourage choosing a job just for the pension benefits that you might or might not reap at 68.

As I’ve got older I’ve felt this more and more strongly. I’m 38 and have been in the civil service since I was in my early 20s. I’ve recently started looking at other jobs and have had a few “but what about the pension?” comments. Hanging on for another 30 years for the pension seems bonkers to me, I’d like to be happier right now not when I’m heading into old age.

Also the point upthread about job security is a good one. It is pretty much impossible for them to get rid of you in the CS but that works both ways and means you’re working with a lot of people who should have been fired years ago.

I think the CS works well if you can switch off your conscientious gene and just coast for 40 years OR if you’re highly motivated by the work you’re doing. I have worked with some great people but they tend to really enjoy what they’re doing and believe it is worthwhile and valuable to society. They’re certainly not doing it for the financial reward as they get paid exactly the same as the poor performers (maybe they’ll get an extra £50 in simply thanks vouchers if they’re lucky).

Pension

I'm the opposite. I will encourage public sector jobs as having done both I think they provide a far better level of stability and protection than the private sector. Better hours, holidays, flexibility and pension.

I would just encourage their interests and try to expose them to as many things as you can.

It may be that they totally surprise you in what they want to do as they get older...eg, academic DDs might hate the pressure/networking associated with city careers and want to spend their lives studying 16th century history/the life cycle of bees etc. Creative DS might end up in the third sector doing something like restoration etc.

Legal aid law isn't public sector work.

So hard to say as there’s such variety but I’m the only public sector worker in my immediate friendship group, very well qualified but I’m the lowest paid by a mile. Yes my pension will be good but those who earn tens of thousands more than me can afford to invest for their retirement anyway 🤷‍♀️

I think it depends what you want to do, I'm a retired public sector worker. I spent a miserable 6 months in the private sector. My personality seemed to fit better into the public sector, I think some people just have different personalities/ prefer different ways of working, mine was in the public sector/

that wasnt the question

It's a key part of the answer however. It seems that many public sector workers have absolutely no clue how valuable their pensions actually are.

Local government. Constant restructures ( redundancy or move of role) as Tory cuts bite. Children’s Services for instance have to save £5.5 million this year ( and last, and the one before).

Not enough staff, including leadership to do the roles. As cuts hit, service use is increasing.

Long hours, many complaints as services just cannot meet the needs of the public. (cuts again)

Constantly undervalued. ‘Cant please everyone all of the time’ - just reading the council SM comments is horrific, parts of the media, so unsupportive.

Many many changes, of staff, meaning systems are not in place or embedded (performance management, career development for instance).

The risk in a restructure of losing the job you had trained for, to be moved to something completely different ( a way to prevent redundancy payments). For instance, PA to an education director is now the governance officer to schools. It means the workforce can be less skilled, just to save redundancy money.

No chance of voluntary redundancy if the new role isn't something you want/are able to do, more so with long service. Too many £££’s to get rid so more likely to be put in a role that was never in your career plan.

Delayed pay awards (last one overdue by 18 months and still not in place).
Less % pay rises than private sector.
Not earning to full potential.

Isolated working, not enough staff to be a ‘team’, not enough time for the team to meet, taking decisions beyond experience.

I feel I have given a working life ( 35 years in) supporting communities, to the detriment of my own health, wellbeing and opportunities.

It really depends how motivated they are and what they are interested in. Public sector pensions and benefits are much, much better. Salaries are often lower but, my friends in teaching and NHS although earn less, they are also contracted for less hours. They also have decided to stick at the band they’re on for a while and not go for promotions, whilst I have actively pushed for promotions and taken on extra work to gain experience throughout my career so far. If we were to compare like for like grades the pay difference wouldn’t be so much.

It is bleak out there at the moment, no doubt, but public service is in the bones of some people and wild horses wouldn't stop them. And my parents disapproval DEFINITELY wouldn't have stopped me, I'm not 7 and presumably your children aren't either.

My stepson worked for the NHS (administrative) and he had so much flexibility- was able to schedule his day to be off to watch the Ashes, for example. Now works for the council four days wfh and loving it.
Seems secure and good benefits. He didn't go to uni, just worked his way up.

I think the public vs private lens isn’t the only thing that you should use to guide them. Much more important overall is finding careers that chime with their strengths, personalities and ambitions.

FWIW I have only ever worked in the private sector and I earn a lot more than my friends in the civil service and teaching. Obviously pension is an advantage in public sector but there are ways to make up for this.

I am in the public sector and DH has always been in the private sector.

I have much better holidays and flexibility for childcare but we can only afford our mortgage because of DH!

Last summer I went to the 10 year reunion of my first year 7 class where I teach. The public sector workers were much happier in their work in general. I exclude the former student who moved to Denmark and works for Lego. But it's a given he's having the most fun. Those who went into finance/corporate legal roles were the most burnt out.

Oh don't worry. I always knew how much my pension was worth. I never earned oodles working in the public sector, but my pension has made retirement a good one.

Lol. YABU.

DH and I both work for the NHS in professions. And when DC is old enough, if they ask, we'd both heavily recommend they go into a profession.

Medicine, dentistry, social work, teaching, nursing, whatever, get a degree that opens the door to a career.

Not rtft but no I don't think you are.
Dh and I were both public sector workers - I still am and he has moved into the private sector.
Apart from my pension which is good (his was ok but not brilliant) there is nothing good about working in the public sector compared with private in my view.
My children have been put off by seeing how hard we work and what we earn compared with their friends' parents so they are already assuming they'll be looking for private sector jobs.

We're in the same position and have advised our children exactly the opposite!

I joined the public sector - civil service- in my late 30s. The pay is lower but the benefits, especially flexi time, pension etc are worth far more. Also treated a lot better.

You’re very wrong, public sector has other benefits like security and pension. And everyone I know who works in the private sector works awful hours and very high stress due to targets. And lastly it’s really none of your business, they need to find their own way

So your annual pension is over 70k?

I've nearly always worked in public sector. Pay good enough for me, interesting, meaning work, good holidays etc and nice people on the whole. It depends what your DC want and what interests them.

It’s currently £35k/Yr but rises each year with inflation. However, I started being paid it at age 41; so it is paying out for far longer than the usual public sector pension. I used a calculator to calculate the CETV from now at my current age to my life expectancy with an average 6% annual increase.