To ask how you've reached a high salary? 50k+

[Redvelvetdreams1]

I'm on 29.5k which is the most I've ever earned in my life, and I'm 34. I have a degree and a PGCE but here we are.
I'm never going to be a millionaire, but I just don't feel like I'll ever know what it's like to be well off. I live alone too but fortunately only have myself to support.

I'm an EO in the Civil service, which i hate. I'm not trying to be rich, but I'd just love to have a comfortable salary and be able to save comfortably, go on proper holidays and not just a £19.99 ryanair flight (I know I'm lucky to even do that) afford to learn to drive, and just know what it's like to not have to check my bank account daily and count every penny.

However I know this is the reality for most people. Maybe I can go back to teaching and try to make it up to SLT, but school behaviour is horrendous these days which is why I left.

I'm just feeling a bit lost. I know I'm lucky to even have a job, but without sounding arrogant I considered myself as intelligent, I gained qualifications, can speak other languages and a lot of people my age are earning quite a bit more than me.
Just interested to hear anyone's stories and any advice on where to go from here.

If you are currently earning more than you ever have and are only 2 months into your civil service role, I would stick it out for 2 years.

You will get an annual increase in pay even if you don't change role.

But within 2 years (UK may have different rules to Ireland on length of service required), you should be able to apply internally for promotion.

And there may be other open competitions you qualify for before that but with your current CS experience, it helps to get that higher level role. And you learn the lingo in the meantime as well.

Take advantage of the training opportunities too - for your current job, for jobs you would like to move to, and personal development/leadership type courses. You should be able to do those in your current role, getting ready for other opportunities (in or out of the CS).

Have you registered to access internal jobs as an existing civil servant? The roles available to internal candidates are much wider than those advertised externally.
I am a G6 at HMRC and have offered to help you several pages back, but it feels as though you just want to step into a well paid job. They are there, but you need to have a plan to get there. The Civil Service is a great place to work with lots of interesting jobs that pay over £50k, plus a good pension and flexible working. HMRC alone has something like 60,000 staff, it is a huge place - there are jobs in your own organisation that you probably have no idea even exist.

I've just logged into my CS jobs account and there are 54 HEO vacancies available within 10 miles of me. Perhaps not all of them would be suitable for you, and possibly your location is different - but the vacancies refresh all the time. You can set up an alert when a new job is added. You should also look at SEO and G7 opportunities.

Oh sorry yes, forgot to log in. Thanks

Ffs the activation email has go to my line manager so they'll probably be wondering why I'm on CS jobs..

Couldn't have predicted it.. just had a call from my manager asking why I'm looking on CS jobs and is everything OK..

What are you looking for? I've been in the CS long enough to know you can't have the perfect pick of location, policy area, and salary. Only 2 out of 3 is achievable. And I'd go further to say HEO is entry-level for graduates so anything at HEO is relevant for you at this moment.

You can do anything from International Trade to working in CO with Ministers. Think about your core skills and how you can apply them to the behaviours asked - are you London based? as I'm sure I can find good HEO (or SEO) posts for you to apply for.

I hope you told them that you are looking for progression opportunities, that you enjoy your current job but want to stretch yourself, take on additional responsibility and develop your career.

You need to make sure your manager knows that you are looking and thinks if you when they hear of opportunities, so that they are able to support you.

I hope you told him you're just looking at what you need to develop for the future and you've no intention of leaving at this time. Just you want to ensure future development opportunities are relevant etc.

"I'm ambitious and curious as to the possible career progression paths. I thought I'd check the jobs board with an eye to upskilling in the relevant areas."

It really shouldn't be a problem, unless your boss is a bully.

It's HMRC CTU - 11 out of 10 times the boss is a bully, and incompetent. Hell, right now, HMRC are hiring people to be trainers for the TSP and I just know how it'll turn out for the trainees.

I've no idea what the TSP is or why hiring trainers would be a bad thing.

If looking in an internal jobs board is considered to be a problem, then it's time to look on external jobs boards.

Have you been through the CTU just out of curiosity? Most people say it's a complete s××t show.

That's not my experience of ctu all the managers I've met so far are really helpful, yes some of the learning is boring at times but hopefully it will all come together and everyone in my office seems pretty positive most of the time

Of course, I started as an administrator in a fairly boring department band 3 temporary contract. Opportunity around for a team leader in that office and I was successfully appointed. A while later I then covered a band 6 maternity leave, however they paid me as a band 5 (which looking back I was totally screwed over, I did all the band 6 duties but accepted band 5 pay as I was desperate for the opportunity to learn and develop and obviously, increased banding). The maternity cover was really my first foray into operational management as deputy operational service manager. In that role I micromanaged the waiting lists, cancellations and various reports for national performance KPI benchmarking etc, theatre scheduling meetings, reducing clinic dna times/improving waiting times etc

from that I saw a job advertised as a band 6 in a different trust doing essentially the same job I was already doing, but in a different specialty. I rang the new trust and spoke to the hiring manager to understand a bit more about the challenges of that department and how things ran. I also went and visited. I then got that job as I’d honed the skills during the maternity cover role, and really researched the new specialty and what my job would look like there.

I then found a very similar operational job at another Trust but a band 7. Assistant directorate manager this time. Applied for that (again, rang the recruiting manager and had a pre meet with some of the team ahead of interviews) and did that for 2 years or so.

I moved organisations again for Directorate Manager role for a different specialty again. After 18 months the job got rebanded as an 8b in recognition of scope and scale. Stayed there another 2 years or so.

moved to my most recent trust for a new specialty again 12 months ago.

my advise in NHS management is seek any and all opportunities to develop, there’s so much support in house and external for courses, go above and beyond to understand different aspects of specialties or functions within the NHS. If you apply and get an interview for another job always always always contact the recruiting manager for a pre chat/visit, it really helps you understand the role and tailor your responses in interviews appropriately. Finally, have a look if your organisation has a mentor program. Or if you’re really interested in Operational Management look into Proud2bOps network, they have a mentor programme and weekly development teams meetings with various speakers.

I have a degree but no masters, no official courses either. I’ve been really fortuitous with experiences and opportunities and various supportive managers who’ve encouraged me! I like to do the same for others.

I earn £64k as a G7. That includes London weighting and a digital skills allowance.

Well you definitely won’t progress if you keep telling yourself this story.

Well that was very silly, and a bit self defeating.

Move to the tech industry and into sales. All you need are good communication skills and be organised- a teacher can demonstrate those skills. Entry level business development roles can pay 50k-100k on target earnings. This is basically cold calling, lead finding and appointment setting. Move to a full sales role within a few years and you would get double or triple that.

No but I know people who have. All left after being streamed out to other posts in CS. Most on promotion as they were overqualified in the first instance. If you’re London based / commutable distance, there are lots of HEO posts in Whitehall at the moment. SEO is the next step above and lots there too, but from what I’ve seen (and my own campaigns), SEO requires more direct experience than HEO-entry.

That sounds brilliant! I’m looking out for apprenticeship opportunities currently and interested in Speech and Language Therapy (can potentially work in schools after) or Mental Health (CBT and counselling as could work from home?) Do you mind me asking what you are currently doing? It sounds amazing!

I work in chronic fatigue service. We see patients with ME/CFS and Long Covid. Understandably, most of our patients are too fatigued to be able to handle travelling to appointments so the entire team works from home. We each offer 1 day a week outpatient appointments at a hospital but in three years I've been in the service, I only had two patients request it so I travel to the office maybe 6 times a year at most.
SaLT is another good one especially if you are interested in paediatrics or neuro. Loads of interesting opportunities in these services.

It’s funny I “know” 50k is a high salary but to me that seems like a low one.

For me how I achieved my “high” salary (currently £95k + bens + bonus) was my chosen field.

Degree + post degree qualification (ACA) then worked in the audit and risk field ever since in FS.

I however have done loads of side steps and shuffling around so behind most of my cohort salary wise.

Do a lot of research on what you enjoy and what you can make money from and then consider what training / qualifications you need to get there. A life coach could also help immensely.

Also I got a lot richer when I learned to budget and plan my spending properly.

I don’t have a partner though. Getting one would massively help my finances.

Second this idea. That was my original career plan and it would have been so fascinating!