Civil service policy jobs - what are they really like?

[Clytemnestra4]

I’m mid forties and have spent my career working in policy roles in mainly charities. I feel it’s time for a change (but not a massive new career type change) and so have been pondering applying for policy roles in the civil service.

I earn around £40k per year and am looking for a sideways move rather than a promotion. So to SEO or possibly Grade 7 I think?

I’m one of those people who is happy working at the level I am currently at rather than looking for any progression. And while I’m not lazy, and am willing to do my work, plus an extra hour here or there occasionally, I am decidedly not looking for anything that demands more of me than this!

But looking at the advertised civil service policy jobs there seems to be a distinct focus on ‘working at pace’ ‘delivering at speed’ ‘maintaining multiple priorities’ etc. These all sound like code to me for ‘we will give you a ridiculous workload and expect you to somehow cope’ but is this how it actually is? Or are they just words they stick in adverts without actually meaning too much?

Basically what is the working culture like in policy roles in the civil service? Are they friendly towards competent but non-ambitious 45 yr olds? Or will I be surrounded by over enthusiastic 28 yr olds who relish overtime and ‘working at pace’??

And I know I’m asking an impossible question as there are so many different civil service departments. But any experiences would be much appreciated.

Bump. I’m interested in this too.

As you’ve said, it really depends on the department. Some departments are better than others at work / life balance.

It will also depend on the type of policy. In my experience, if you work in a strategic or new area, or an area with significant ministerial interest, there will probably be longer and less predictable hours. In BAU, the work tends to be more predictable and less demanding in terms of quick turnarounds etc.

There’s a huge variety of roles even within departments. You’ll find enormously ambitious 28 year olds desperate to get near the ministers and happy middle aged people getting on with things in roles that suit their dispositions and ambitions.

Im in a G6 policy role after doing policy jobs as SEO and G7. As others have said, it can hugely depend on the dept. Anything that touches on current govt priorities is likely to be high profile, fast paced and (i personally found) quite stressful. The 28yr olds you describe (of which I was one when i was SEO) are more likely to be in the bigger high profile depts although you will find them in other places too. You may find smaller / more technical depts are less like that. If your background is in the charity sector, you could also consider charity commission. You will likely have a massive workload though - which is why you need to prioritise, but is that any different to any other job? It's just a case of prioritisation and keeping the plates spinning.

I'm grade 7 civil service - legal not policy but had to demonstrate a lot of the same behaviours for recruitment. Every department is different obviously but Ive found that the civil service has been much better for work life balance than private practice ever was - my line manager genuinely cares about my welfare and we speak regularly even now working from home to check my workload etc. Don't read too much into the behaviours they are asking you to evidence (though do look up the STAR method if you haven't applied before) as there are only so many they can choose from for any job

Very very much depends on the department and team. I would anticipate you having flexitime still though.

I moved from the voluntary sector at a similar age. I am in a very high profile area and the workload and pace is far greater than in charities ime, but it is also way more interesting. I came across as an SEO and am now G7. I'd say go for it, even though workload is high where I am, managers are supportive and happy to be flexible with hours etc

Thank you everyone for your replies. They’re really helpful and on balance I’m feeling pretty positive about the civil service.

I think I’ll try and steer clear of jobs and depts that look particularly high profile (Cabinet office, Home Office type vacancies?). But will apply for for some SEO or grade 7 roles if they look to match my skills and experience.

Plus I’m hoping that if/when I got a civil service job that also opens up the option of applying for internal vacancies at a later date. I think I’ve heard there are a fair amount of vacancies that are only advertised internally.