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.

Maybe there's a difference with public facing roles. I've been in the same (professional public sector) public facing role for 25 years and frankly I'm fed up with entitled idiots who make day to day working intolerable.

I agree completely with you

This! Surely you should be encouraging them to find jobs which they think they will enjoy and which will make the most use of their skills/talents.

I'm not in the UK and I've never heard anyone discussing whether they should get a job in the public or private sector. People just go for the jobs they think will suit them.

Is the pension really worth it if you're earning so much less throughout your working life?

I've done both, but planning to stay firmly in the private sector for the rest of my career. I found the culture in the civil service endlessly frustrating, no one seemed to have any drive to actually make things happen, and I couldn't imagine sticking in that environment for 30+ years, particularly if you are someone who gets value and a sense of self from achieving things at work.

Plus the pay makes a huge difference to my life now. I moved back into the private sector 2 years ago, am making £30k more in basic salary than I was in the civil service and get an annual bonus that's been equivalent to half of my basic pay for the last couple of years. So I've been able to buy a flat near work rather than keep renting, I can plan sensibly for my retirement by putting a good chunk of my salary away without feeling that it's too much of a sacrifice.

In your place, I'd be advising them to try to get as much work experience as possible in different environments, so they can start to figure out what type of culture they are suited to. And let them know that if a job isn't working out, there's no point in staying in an environment that makes them unhappy, even if there is the promise of long term retirement benefits in 35 years time.

This, really. Amazing benefits (pension, holiday, parental leave, etc.), amazing employee rights, both of which are generally inferior in the private sector. You might get paid more in terms of salary in the private sector, but you have to consider the benefits of both of these.

Quite the opposite I would say. My exh's public sector job pays very well and as for his final salary pension (which I get 20% of on retirement...

Let your children choose their own path, whether it's electrician, banking or nurse

I think it very much depends what your children want to do, I have been in the civil service my whole career, and while, yes I know I could be paid (a hell of) a lot more in the private sector, the work is varied, interesting and I know more now about a lot of subjects I would never have come across if it wasn't for the flexibility of the Civil Service and the variety of roles you can do in your career. Only now is my husband able to match me in terms of annual leave and pension, and he has worked in the private sector since he graduated from Uni.

One of the things my husband always says to me is the knowledge, work ethic, attitude and his experience of people in the public sector/civil service is superior to private sector - his team at the moment all earn more than I do, for far less responsibility but are they as satisfied with their careers as I am? Probably not.

DD is NHS worker and DS works for local authority
I envy their salaries (far more than I was earning at similar ages)
both have had quite good career progression opportunities
much better pensions etc longer sick pay, paternity or maternity schemes
far greater job security
I wish I’d joined the civil service as a graduate as I’m sure I would be retired by now! At the time it seemed a safe boring option and at 21 that was not for me

Also, I don't see such a huge difference in the other benefits, although I guess it will vary significantly by sector. Certainly my holiday entitlement is equivalent in the private sector, plus additional loyalty leave for every 5 years of employment, enhanced maternity pay, paternity leave has just been increased to 12 weeks, flexible working patterns can be agreed, great training etc. Not every company is going to offer that, but you certainly don't have to compromise on any of it if you chose the right private sector career.

The only part I agree with is that teachers don't necessarily know very much about different careers, and often pigeonhole students based on the sort of job they think they should be doing.

I'm very academic (as in, top results in the country level academic). But actually I thrive on physical, practical work. I could easily satisfy my intellectual talents in my private time whilst thriving as say, a builder. And being a builder wouldn't cause me the migraines sitting at a desk does.

Really interesting perspectives, thanks everyone for sharing.

Of course, our children will follow their own paths and we will be proud that they have done so. I guess I want them to be able to take a balanced view of all the possibilities. And to consider what might be the best path if they want to move country, be promoted etc.

The pensions and benefits in the public sector are always cited as a reason to stay. But I know several pubic sector workers who have declined opportunities to move to more interesting roles, or to travel because it meant losing their continuous service benefits- so it has become a bit of a trap.

Also, there are private sector organisations out there with much better benefits than you’d see in the public sector. Aside from the higher salaries ( which when invested more than covers the pension difference), I know people who have had 9-12 months maternity leave on full pay (I got six months, some on half pay), people who decamp and work from overseas every summer, lots of flexibility for working from home and flexi time around child care and people who have been really well looked after when they’ve been sick (including a law firm paying two years’ salary). I would never have known those possibilities were available when I was working in Local Government, as the narrative always was that we had the best benefits (despite constant restructuring and unpaid overtime)

No, I’d do the opposite. Myself & my public sector collleagues are soon retiring on 40k+ a year pensions, while a lot of my friends in the private sector have little, if any pension.

I wouldn't encourage either but focus on what their interests are if possible. One thing that gets rarely mentioned here is that good public service sick pay has detriments to those who do not need it. My v small team has had 2 staff off sick for the past 6 months, these posts are not been covered, so the rest of the team - 4 people - have been doing all the extra work for nothing, it's a complete nightmare

Most public sector workers will not be retiring in 40k a year pensions though realistically.

Most may never get to 40k.

You examples from the public sector may ring true for the NHS or teaching but not for the Civil Service. You're being very unreasonable by dismissing the Civil Service. If your DC go through the Fast Stream after graduation, they can end up in Grade 7 posts paying £55-60k pa (more by time they go through it) with a pension that accrues at 2.32% and pays out a guaranteed rate for life, during retirement.

That's before you get to the flexibility benefits, including fully paid parental leave (not all departments), flexible time off for childcare, WFH (2-4 days at home, 1-3 in office - team dependent).

Source: I work for the Civil Service in a Policy post in a Central Whitehall department. My Work-Life balance is much better than it was previously in NHS and Private Sector. I also get to travel overseas a lot so that is a bonus.

I would advise against working in Operations within the Civil Service, they're usually public facing posts and not good (think Home Office, DWP, HMRC). But they're, largely, the lower, non-professional grades. Hopefully your DC are able to skip via the Fast Stream or Direct Entry routes offered.

There are pros and cons to both.

Real high flyers undoubtedly do better financially in private sector. But the vast majority of people aren't in top roles, and may be better off overall in public sector. IME many public sector employees have no understanding of how unusual some of things they take for granted are.

I spent most of my life in private sector, moved to public a few years ago, and wish I'd done it earlier. I'm in a professional but non-management role. I could earn more elsewhere but the other benefits more than outweigh that for me.

I'm public sector law and for 15 years we've been hiring staff out of the private sector due to our better working hours and flexibility etc.

For the first time, we're now losing tons of staff back to the private sector. Many firms are matching our offer on working hours and flexibility, but paying twice the salary. Yes, the pension may not be as good, but at twice the salary, people can save a chunk of money to live on in retirement.

I'm constantly working unpaid overtime and for the first time I'm questioning whether it wouldn't be easier to just go to a private firm instead. If I'm going to be worked to the bone I'd rather be paid double for it.

So no, you're not wrong, but plenty of people still have the view that the public sector is a utopia.

I’m private sector and salary isn’t great for what I’m asked to do (similar pay level to teachers with same numbers of year’s experience).

Lot of people burning out and working late / on weekends in our company

I do get a bonus which is £1.5k roughly, that’s if we get a bonus, some years it’s nothing

Current pension projection is 14k a year with a lump sum of 60k if I retire at 65.

I wouldn’t rule out public sector completely

Yeah that’s not how you calculate a defined benefit CETV.

My friends who work in the public sector (NOT teaching) in a variety of roles from the Environment Agency to the Attorney General's Office are relaxed and pretty happy with their lot, and enjoy an amazing work life balance. They think it's a big deal if they have to work past 6pm (happens rarely). My private sector friends, whilst earning more, are stressed to breaking point, work 60+ hours/week on a regular basis and are under constant pressure to perform with very little security.

When I was at uni, my mother (a teacher) tried to pressure me to go into the civil service (that's what she did before teaching). So I of course rebelled and went down the private sector route into Financial Services. Years later, with hindsight, I should have listened to her.

I think OP that you're comparing the best of the private sector with the worst of the public sector. Not a fair comparison.

I'm constantly working unpaid overtime and for the first time I'm questioning whether it wouldn't be easier to just go to a private firm instead. If I'm going to be worked to the bone I'd rather be paid double for it.

This has always been my experience too in the CS. Or at least over the past five years or so.

I think it’s very role/grade dependant and I wonder if the more junior grades are more suited to part time or flexible working on the whole (there will be exceptions of course).

My experience of part time at G7 level has consistently been having to work full time for a part time salary 🤦‍♀️

I’ve just told my dc to make sure they work in a unionised workplace.

Surely they should do what they want to do.

@sunrisechurch I agree. Many of my colleagues work part time in theory but in reality, clock in more than full time hours. Flexi time is something of a misnomer as we can never take the time back, it's so busy.

Perhaps it's different elsewhere - public sector is huge, after all. But there has been a very noticeable post-COVID shift where I am.

I worked in a similar type of professional job in the public and private sector. The private sector is better paid for that type of role (but not in many) but the pension benefits and work life balance are infinitely superior in the public sector. The people I know in the public sector have done well for themselves- not the huge earners I’ve seen in some of my city friends but generally better paid than the private sector especially out of london.