I’m terrible at my job, AIBU to try and get in to the civil service?

[overthinkersanonnymus]

I work in finance admin and although I’m extremely organised and proactive, numbers are not my strong point. I also have no pension to speak of so I feel like I need to concentrate on finding a role that won’t give me searing maths anxiety and has decent benefits.

from what I’ve heard it’s quite difficult to get in to, but if I can, what departments would be best to get apply to so I can get my foot in the door?

Are you sure? My deferred pension is payable in full when I get to 60 and I’m not even 50 yet.

Sounds like you'll fit in well in the CS

your DH should listen to a pension power session @Cailleachnamara. If he’s been in post since he was 18 his NPA is 60 for the legacy (remedy period) of his pension. His current scheme will be 66.

Don’t believe all you’ve heard about the CS putting up with incompetence. I can and do sanction and dismiss crap people (even if they’re nice!).

A hot refreshing drink + another name for a bap?

that's less than statutory sick pay though....

How can you be in finance but rubbish at numbers? The civil service is not all it was and is highly competitive. Can you look to move pensions to a sipp to get better value? Edited as posted too soon.

LA.

I doubt it. SSP is £118.75 PW.

Dumb comment.

Why the civil service? Surely you just need to find a suitable role in any organisation?

And another one.

So true

What did you do in the CS?

Where in the CS have you worked? Or are you one of those "I know people who" types?

What’s weird is back in the 1970s I left school at 16 with barely an O level to my name and just walked into a junior job in CS. I don’t think I even had an interview, just filled in an application firm and they wrote back telling me where and when I’d be working. I didn’t stay long as I was bored, but looking back I wonder where it would have taken me if I’d knuckled down and stayed.

But will take twelve months at least from offer to starting

I work in the CS and my department is quite niche with very high expectations of productivity and accuracy (although not all departments are necessarily like this). Incompetence isn’t a thing due to the necessity to get things right (you wouldn’t get through the long training period if you couldn’t achieve the targets).

There are plenty of opportunities for progression (and you don’t need to excel). The pay’s not great but the pension and perks are.

A housing associations are not run by civil servants - they’re private entities with government funding…….. 🙄

I know 2 guys who work in civil service at HEO level, early 30s working on big projects of significance -, both very smart, affable, hardworking and would be delighted to have them work for me. The idea it’s all complete dullards who wouldn’t get a job anywhere else really isn’t fair at all - I worked in internal recruitment for many years including big tech and management consultancy and both the guys I know in civil service were on a par with the guys I met there- it’s like saying all teachers are useless and couldn’t get a job in the real world - every sector has plodders and flyers and people who make you think how the hell did they get that job. The one thing I will say though is that only ever working public sector perhaps dulls the senses as to what ‘costs ‘ are the real going rate outside of public sector , as it’s easy to just think ‘oh that will do, sounds about right’ and you’ve done your 3 tenders- when it’s not you or your company’s cash you are being asked to justify - as an example Boris johnson dept (when mayor of London ) paying £100k for a very simplistic webpage , that out in the real world wouldn’t justify more than about £8k and a couple of weeks work.

Indeed!

I'm shit at my job....so the to the Civil Service I go 😂😂😂

I am shocked at that but even more shocked that neighbours in my street have to work weekends!!!

Might your people skills be on a par with your finance skills?

They have loads of different roles

Find one that fits you - a lot will need specific skill

Key is filling in the application form

Use the STAR method to answer questions. You are allowed to use AI but make sure to use specific examples

When answering questions you can use examples outside your FT job eg voluntary work

If asked to add a cv do not include phone No or anything identifying identifying you

20% pension so worth going for lower paid jobs as that is like gold dust

Showing your own incompetence, or at least ignorance there, individual housing associations have literally nothing to do with the civil service....