How to leave the civil service?

[Yats17]

Hello, does anyone here have any experience they can share of how they managed to leave the civil service and transition smoothly into something else?

I've been in CS for 10 years, last 5+ years doing slightly random G7 jobs since having my first DS. Promotion since mat leave has proved impossible and I'm not sure I'm bothered now as money vs hassle doesn't seem worth it.

I'm now pregnant for the 3rd time (only 12 weeks) and really a) fed up of current role so not sure how I will get through for another 6 months and b) I had been ready to leave the CS before I first got pregnant as the CS just wasn't really for me. I initially promoted quickly, did crazy but interesting jobs so didnt mind it, but realised i wasnt really building anything.

But those kind of roles arent even really open to me now as I need stable hours and not too much extra brain usage given crazy family life.

I thought about going to work for a start up on a part time basis, and got a few good contacts, but then found I was pregnant.

If I try and do this post pregnancy, would it be a plan to ask for a secondment out? Or just take a career break for a couple of years and suck up financial loss as best possible? And give up on start up idea?

It doesn't help that we may imminently be shifted to another department which adds another layer of complexity.

Any experiences would be gratefully received!

I don’t know another role that would be as flexible, family friendly as civil service so with everything you’ve described I’d stick it out.

You want to give up a stable but dull job on £55k-ish in the civil service, while you have 3 young children, to work for a startup?

This sounds like a mistake to me.

CS here! I would stick it out whilst pregnant because of all the rights/entitlement you have. You could use your mat leave to decide next steps and if the start up is feasible

Which department are you in?

If you do leave make sure you set up a private pension that will match the CS one. I know retirement seems a long way off but I cashed several years of mine in to buy baby stuff and now I’ve retired I’m bitterly regretting it!

I understand your frustration with the CS. I wouldn’t move now though- stick it out at least until you can go on mat leave, then make a plan.

Do you have to repay your mat pay if you don’t come back?

Given the current climate and given your personal circumstances, I wouldn't leave. I know so many people who are envious of CS that I was surprised with your title. Mind you, I get all your frustrations and I think it's good someone is dispelling myths about CS.

Agree with others, don't leave before your mat leave. Very few employers (probably 0) will offer maternity pay that can match the cs. I think you only need to stay 6 months when you return to not have to pay it back, do check that tho. Either way even if it's a year I'd say it will be worth it. Maybe try to move roles (to another cs job) when on mat leave. Sounds mad but I think applying for different cs jobs when on mat leave is easier - if you can get someone to look after the kids for a day you can totally focus for one day on the application and then try to get another day of help for interview prep. That will mean you are actually a lot more prepared than those applying who are at work. I have lost out to at least 3 people applying on mat leave recently for different cs posts and the secret to their success was that they were better prepared for the interview (with a full time job and kids I never have time to prepare properly). That's my biggest beef with the cs, no other employer requires so much interview prep time for roles which are level transfer, let alone promotion! Anyway, if you don't manage to switch roles you can always leave after you are back, after using up annual leave etc it won't be that much time that you have to stay

think i agree on this, especially when you need to pay the bills etc

Thanks for thoughts, would be interested to hear from people who did make it out though and how they did it.

Yh I am not thinking about leaving immediately, just need to try and work out how to make the next 6 months bearable!

I turned down the 2 start up quasi offers As i knew i was possibly pregnant. They would have offered comparable salary, at part time hours, working on something I could really get excited about. The downside is the high likelihood the comanpany can go bust within 5 years. Its a risk, but I figure while I'm pretty useless as far as the sexy jobs in the CS see me, then this point in my life and non-career post mat leave may be the time to make a change and take a risk. Pensionwise I'm OK after 10 years, and DH luckily earns OK (for now atleast, who knows how the economy will go).

I've been trying hard to coast for the last 5 years and it really isn't me, although I have plenty of colleagues who are doing that until they hit retirement. I really don't want my kids to see me as a coast-er!

I know we might be able to take career breaks (for caring reponsibilties mainly) but was thinking if that could be a secondment instead so I go and try my hand at a start up for a couple of years...i just can't work out how feasible that plan is.

Basically plotting my exit is what might keep me sane over the next 6 months!

@idratherbedrawing Omg yes! That's what I had to do my last 2 mat leaves and it was so so demoralising and time consuming. I know it's a lot of luck and a numbers game, but honestly I'm too old for that kind of BS now. All that's got me is alot of time spent doing BS competencies and jobs that were less than thrilling, and time away from my kids.

Look for a sideways move in the CS, maybe change which branch you work in. Which department are you in now? The family friendly aspect is what should keep you there at least until your kids grow up, so potentially for at least 10-12 years. Look up CS jobs & explore if there is any other avenue open to you.

Swap jobs with a teacher?
There's whole Facebook pages full of teachers trying to get into the CS!! 😃

I had to leave due to horrendous bullying. If it had been at all possible, I would've stuck it out( Mum of three all in primary when I had to leave)

@idratherbedrawing totally agree with Cs recruitment and you need many hours to do an application. I didn't for years as I didn't have a free week to write application, Its really unfair on carers etc
OP - the CS is way more family friendly and flexi than most private employers so be careful that grass isn't always greener

Ah I'm sorry to hear that. I know that can be soul destroying and sounds like you made the right choice given the circumstances.

I don't really have bullying in my current team, just not my kind of work or people. If I stay longer I just have to accept being underpaid and undervalued for my experience and ability. The classic mum trap!

Sorry if I've missed this- but what is your role, job, degree in???

What area would you like to be working in? There are likely options within other teams/areas you could transfer to or at least apply for. If not within CS, we might have other job role options to consider.

You talk about it like a jail break!

"people who did make it out"
"How to leave"

I have been in the civil service. I got out by applying for a job elsewhere, getting it, and resigning.
For my whole career I have moved in and out of CS a number of times. It's not a cult, you can just leave, and come back again if the right job for you is available.

Ta, yeah 6 months paid leave is v good. There is a voluntary exit scheme happening now too, but not quite good enough to give up mat leave for i think 😉

My dept is a bit small and specific so mau be too identifying to say here.

Do you know much about career breaks or secondments? Wish our HR was a bit more cogent 🙄

Haha you're right! I even started off in the private sector first before I joined the CS so I don't know why this is proving to be so hard. I guess I feel institutionalised and it's hard to imagine a world outside. Also I don't want to just leave and not maximise the benefits of being in the CS. The only people I know kw who have left have done so because of awful bullying and harassment issues. Definitely don't know anyone who has come back in! Can i ask what kind of roles and depts that was?

I'm in foreign policy and it's a v hard area to get into, and an even harder area to progress in unless you are an upper class white male/have a rich DP and your kids are at boarding school. I know of some senior people who have stepped in and out, but tbh I suspect it was significantly helped by certain connections. Not judging them, but that kind of world is not really for me.

Ah thanks for thinking about that. Yes would definitely need to pay into a new private pension. I think it's not possible to cash in my alpha pension in that way, and even if I leave in another years time, my pension will be OK, albeit I can only claim it at 68. I don't think the alpha scheme is quite the gold plated thing everyone thinks it is! Definitely not terrible, but not as good as the stereotypes which i think are based on the older pension schemes.

@Yats17 I'm in communications so it's much more easily transferable and adaptable to any type of business. People rave about the benefits of civil service but I've honestly found equally good salary/benefits/pension/flexible working in every employer I've gone to.
Are you committed to foreign policy work? You are quite restricted in that case. Perhaps charities would be a good alternative in that area.
Otherwise, consider what transferrable skills you have to use in different types of role. Speak to some recruitment consultants and see what they suggest for you.

Hi OP I hear you. But I also agree with others that there are few places as flexible as the civil service when you have a young family. If you are set on leaving then so be it. But have you considered finding a mentor in your organisation who isn't a white male/ with a rich DP etc and asking them to help you figure out how to make it work for you?

I am CS too, and I totally understand the boredom and frustration of a "slow moving" CS job. Too much waffle and not enough delivery!

I have been in CS for 20+ years, and have been G7 for 15+ of them. I have the ability to be promoted, but I don't have the flexibility to be the person chatting with the seniors after the day of meetings is done, so I don't hear about wider business problems/opportunities etc any more and so struggle to get myself on to exciting programmes. I am valued by the seniors though - if ever they want a safe pair of hands to deliver unpopular news or open a can of worms, they're on to me! I do lots of things that are "beyond my grade" because they know I won't say anything stupid or dig the department in to a hole.

I took a 2 year career break when it became unbearable to sit at work bored all day while the chaos of multiple kids/schools/home mounted up outside of work. While the money was nice, it was too hard to drift all day and then rush about playing catch up at home. My two years helped a bit, and of course my kids are now 2 years older which relieved some of the chaos, but I went back because being at home full time was more boring than being at work

I am applying for promotions when suitable things come up, but I won't leave the CS because it is local, pays ok for the flexibility it offers, it is flexible, pension is better than DC pensions I could get elsewhere, and it is as secure as a job can be. Security is a big thing for me - while I work the flexible CS job and have the security that our family could survive on my salary it leaves DH to take career risks and earn more because of that.

Instead of a secondment, could you cut to 2 days per week CS and find a start up that could be exciting and keep your brain occupied while you're at CS job too? It might be the best of two worlds?

Ah great shout about recruitment consultants, that's something I can do over mat leave.

I previously talked to people about what transferable skills I have and that's what led me to the "tech for good" start up world options. Other than that all I can think of are general "head of policy" type roles. I haven't tried to apply for those sort of roles so don't know what my chances would be. Though bow you have prompted me maybe I can just chat to mates in the private sector policy field and get a bit of feedback.

You sound like potential future me! Am happy you have found a way through for now.

Yes my DH has sugggested taking a year of a career break to chill pist mat leave, get our life a bit more in order, sadly i dont think i can afford more than that. But that is definitely an option.

When you say do 2 days CS then the rest elsewhere, you mean having 2 jobs? It hadn't occurred to me you could do that in the CS! Hm that will def need investigating if possible...the security is the most appealing bit about the CS, albeit that's currently put balanced by all the presenters and senior face time things 🤔