Expressions of interest - civil service. Are they worth it?

[Mamabear256]

Evening everyone

Just wondering if anyone here works for the civil service, and what people’s opinions are on expressions of interest? The one i am thinking of applying for is temporary promotion. As they are temporary I’m just wondering if they are worth the time and the change? As ultimately I know at the end you go back to your old job/grade

I've had 2 EoIs they have been very useful to gain experience in roles I wouldn't have otherwise manager must agree your release from your current role though. Id apy and see what happens. Good luck

Not necessarily - I got my current job on TP through EOI and it went permanent. It isn’t guaranteed but it’s possible. I probably wouldn’t bother with an EOI of less than 12 months because it takes six months or so to really get to know a job, but it would depend on the role and how close it was to my existing role.

So I’d say go for it!

Yes absolutely. The experience can help you get a permanent role at that level, and you’ll be getting paid more while on temporary promotion.

EOIs at a higher grade (ie temporary promotion) are limited to 12 months in my dept.

I disagree it always takes 6 months - it really depends on the job

It is the best way to build experience. I am currently on assignment (admittedly not EOI but essentially the same) it was for 6 months initially and now been extended for another year and I now have plenty of experience to use when applying for the next grade

Thanks all! I’m going to go for it. I think I’m nervous because I hate change, especially when I know it’s going to change again which is likely as it’s only for 6 months so it’s not even a permanent change!

Good luck!

Good luck! Yes they're generally worth it IME. It's very rare to go back to your old job from an EOI. Most people will either get confirmed permanently (obviously needs a formal recruitment process if going for promotion) or move onto something else.

Good luck. They're excellent for experience and I know of a couple that were made permanent (obviously they had to reapply, but they got them) the truth is the most successful civil servants are the ones who embrace change and move roles/projects regularly, so it's a good thing to get used to if you want to progress.

Yes worth it ! In our department you stay in the area where you have EOI now so if you are looking for a move it’s great - I’m on an EOI now which is being made permanent

I did a G7 EoI and it definitely helped me to get a G7 permanent role. I was able to step into more senior meetings etc when deputising for our G6 head of team, so had exposure to management matters. Plus the role i was doing was made permanent so obviously had a massive advantage when it came to the permanent interview. Even if you have to step back to your old job, think of it as a pay boost for a year, plus opportunity to build some great experience at higher behaviours for future interviews. Is it in your current dept? If so, you'll be able to hit the ground running especially.