Change jobs? Charity low pay vs civil service big bucks?

[goteam]

I'm in a quandary re applying for a job. I currently work in the voluntary sector and have for around 10 years. I have been in my current job for around 2.5 years and work 2.5 days, all home based apart from a few meetings at office, good benefits eg 30 days leave, domestic leave, good sick pay etc. BUT, we have just been through a restructure, a lot of good efficien staff were let go to make way for a few lazy sycophants and consequently morale is low, with high staff turnover, sickness etc. I'm largl,y shielded from the office politics as home based but the injustice and waste of money (as we are a charity) gets me down.

I have seen a civil service job which is twice my pay (50 rather than 25k!) but I don't know whether I would be mad to leave a role that fits so well around my almost 4 and 5 year old. I can pick them up from school every day. The civil service job has similar benefits and more and seem to really invest in staff but on paper so does my charity. On paper it looks like a great place to work.

Would you apply? They say they welcome job share applicants. It is a 'project manager' type job and seems to required a lot if number crunching, managing big budgets etc which worries me (current job is more coordinating projects) It's a huge application and I'm worried that everywhere has office politics and I'll just experience that again without the luxury of working from home and with a big commute (1 hour).

The civil service really doesn’t pay mega bucks, so I think this may be a role several rungs up the ladder to where you are now.

I would definitely apply. Thinking long term, imagine the difference it would make to paying off the mortgage, your pension, helping kids through uni.

You may not get it, you may interview and decide to turn it down. But if you don't have a go you'll never know!

Hi Titty, that's has crossed my mind too. The job title is similar (think project officer) but the grade seems several above other roles advertised in this department st the moment so I do worry it's a lot of responsibility. I don't theoretically have a lot of responsibility at the moment but because of poor managers doing very little, am doing strategic work way above my grade (eg setting up systems, recruiting staff etc) which I didn't do prior to restructure with good managers. My workload is at times high but it is at least stuff I'm capable of whereas the technical project manage to stuff (which I am qualified to do, with prince2) I might find tricky, especially if managing complex budgets, dealing with subcontracting etc.

Boss witch, I know what you mean. My worry is actually that I will get the job (I'm actually quite good at interviews!) but that it will be a mistake, the grass isn't always greener etc etc. I am an introvert really and like working from home and not bang very senior.

I should add, the money thing isn't the most attractive part of the job. I am very taken for granted at work and must say I like the idea of sticking two fingers up to where I work and it's awful management. The new role sounds like a step up and that they really develop people but I would need after school care and I like the 'dynamics' and work life balance at the moment just not the office politics etc.

Really don't know if I should leave a job that fits so well around life for the Unknown!

Nothing to lose by applying but civil service jobs are quite competitive and can be difficult to join without a civil service background at that level. You could phone them for a chat. They often say job share but unless two people apply wanting job share which rarely happens its normally full time in my experience.

Penguins, that's really useful thank you. There was no mention of being home based so when they said 'flexible working' in the advert I assumed it just mean being able to start later if needed etc.

I may ring for a chat. Good idea. I haven't worked in the civil service but have worked in the voluntary sector in this area of work for years. It's just such a long application form and I worry the reasons for me wanting to find a new job aren't to do with the actual work but management issues!

what grade is it at in civil service speak? That will influence my answer

£50k is about G6, isn’t it?

Could be G7 depending on the department. What department is it? I'm in the civil service, work 3 days a week, find it v flexible and really enjoy it. I don't really work from home as my particular job really isn't suited to that but lots of people do at least some of the time.

Or G7, depending on the Department.

OP, have you looked at the competent framework for the grade you're applying for? That will give you an idea of whether you're in with a shout.

Civil service is reasonably family friendly.

Who has £50k entry at G7?!

If they're saying they welcome job share applicants they may mean established job-share pairs though.

DWP, DH, DfE all pay more than £50k at G7 in London

Wow. It was about £40k when I left the CS!

Thanks all. I'm erring on the side of staying put to be honest. I think my current job is just too family friendly and flexible to walk away from at the one that, with 3 and 5 year olds. I may need to just ignore the poor management as much as I can and focus on the positives.

moment not one that. Bloody iPad.

a G7 role seems a lot more than the role you currently decide. I think you need to be clear if you want career progression as that job will be a real step up

I know a lot of people that work in the Civil Service (mainly DofE and DWP) and I would say at least 50% of the women in the services I know, are working PT or flexi hours or some home working.

Go for it and see what happens.

Apply - there's not actually any decision to be made till you've got a job offer, and the only thing you can guarantee is that if you don'the apply, you won'the get it. Going through the process might help clarify your mind about some of it.

Apply. But have a long, hard look at the competence framework for the grade, and make sure your answers on the competences meet what is involved. Depending on the department (which is it?), it may be a proper project management type role with budgets and subcontractors, or it may be pissing about with silly little internal projects that have been dreamed up by someone senior to keep them in a job. I worked for DFID a while back doing project management, and they were good - interesting projects and lots of autonomy. Civil service love affair with Prince 2 now seems to be at an end, and it’s all about Agile these days.

I'm a private sector programme manager, so I don't understand the bandings. I'm also outside of London. But assuming you are too (from the salaries you describe), then moving from project co-ordinator to a £50k PM (which is a a good, established PM in my world) is a significant step up. But not an extraordinary one.

PMing is quite full on in terms of responsibility. It can be quite flexible in terms of time - as long as you are too.

You should be able to negotiate flexible "I am present in the office" hours. But you will be expected to be available remotely outside of that time. And managing big budgets and suppliers goes with the territory (and salary) I'm afraid. But once you've done it once, it gets a lot easier