Civil Service is nice soft easy job, no pressure compared to the private sector

[rabbit]

I am currently working in an Irish Bank and its a grand job. Its in the Head Office, flexi times, interesting work, only drawback is the pay is really bad and its like trying to get blood from a stone getting payrise!

I have since been offered a job in the Civil Service and dont know what to do.

Is there anyone who works/worked in the Civil Service that can advise me on what its like?

Civil service is nice soft easy job, generally no pressure compared to the private sector which employs the public sector via their taxes. Its also generally much better paid than the private sector, more secure, better perks ( eg pension, free car parking space , longer coffee breaks etc ). Its not supposed to be like this, but in Ireland it is. Ask Eddie Hobbs. He had a bit to say about civil servants there recently.

 

[tallpaul]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

Civil service is nice soft easy job, generally no pressure compared to the private sector which employs the public sector via their taxes. Its also generally much better paid than the private sector, more secure, better perks ( eg pension, free car parking space , longer coffee breaks etc ). Its not supposed to be like this, but in Ireland it is. Ask Eddie Hobbs. He had a bit to say about civil servants there recently.

Ehmm. I would LOVE for you to provide some empirical evidence for this. It's people like you Rabbit who keep this rubbish stereotype alive.

Pay is broadly in line with the private sector and may be behind in some respects in the more junior grades (e.g. Clerical Officer). Security is one of the principles of the Public Service and generally it is people in the private sector who jealously whinge about this. If you want tenure, why don't you try out for the Civil Service?

As for longer coffee breaks, I won't dignify that with an answer. What is your definition of longer? Any evidence to back this up. In addition I think all private sector companies, where they have car parks, do not charge their employees to use them; much the same as the Civil Service.

Perhaps Rabbit you might do a little research before you promote the old 'Civil Servants doing nothing routine'...

Anyway to answer the OP, personally I think the culture in the Civil Service and the large banks is very similar with regards to conditions of service, pay (generally), leave, sick leave arrangments, promotions etc. I have several friends who work in banks and the culture seems very similar.

It would be worth your while thinking what you want to get out of your career. Is money your sole motivator at present as to why you want a change? Have you tried applying for jobs in other financial institutions where you can apply your skills?

 

[rabbit]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

Perhaps Rabbit you might do a little research before you promote the old 'Civil Servants doing nothing routine'...

I never said civil servants do nothing. I have friends in the civil service who say they have done their knitting and read papers and books there, along with a bit of work on occassion.

As regards their pay / pensions etc, statistics show how well paid they are. Did not not watch Eddie Hobbs talk about them, far more eloquently than me, on his 30 things programme a few weeks ago ?

I have many relations, friends and acquantances who work in both the public and private sectors eg manufacturing industry.

 

[messyleo]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

well said tallpaul... can't believe the attitude of rabbit. i know ppl working in the private sector who can sit and read the times all day, whereas i, along with my colleagues in the civil service frequently work well in excess of our standard hours but don't get time in lieu or overtime. all my friends in the private sector (accouting, pr, estate agents, banks and tax) get paid or else get ime in lieu when they work over 37.5 hous a week. I certainly agree that there may well be some quieter positions in the cs, however this is not exclusive to the public sector.

As regards pay, I'm not on the lowest rung, but my friends in the private sector all get paid more than I do, and generally get a couple of grand of a bonus per annum too. Throw in xmas parties that are paid for by managment, social outings/occassions etc. and it also compounds things. There's a waiting list for parking in the dept where i work, and i know people who have been on the list for 7 or 8 years and still no signs of a spot!

 

[rabbit]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

As regards pay, I'm not on the lowest rung, but my friends in the private sector all get paid more than I do

I am talking statistically ; the relatively small number of your " friends in the private sector who all get paid more than you do " does not prove anything. There are also lots of people in the country on close to the minimum wage, especially outside the big cities. Many people do not enjoy long coffee breaks, plenty of sick days off, little pressure, 100% job security, pension, off at 5 pm etc.

 

[messyleo]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

off at 5pm??!! I wish! I generally work about 8am till 6pm or later with 30-40 mins for lunch and no coffee breaks. i've taken one sick day in the past twelve months. little pressure?? (how about you try taking the heat and defending your country's decisions in front of experts from all the other member states in brussels?). i'll give you the job security one alright.

in terms of salaries, i agree that cs jobs may be well paid relative to other jobs in some parts of the country. i can only compare on a dublin basis, in which case, similar specced jobs get more money in the private sector from my experience. the cs pay is the same country-wide, private sector varies in terms of location; that's the killer difference, so in a dublin context the pay tends to be below the average for similar positions in the private sector.

like i said you might get lucky and get a quiet enough post (as could just as easily happen in a private sec job), or it could be the exact opposite; that's the nature of the cs, it's very broad.

 

[Murt10]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

I have friends in the civil service who say they have done their knitting and read papers and books there, along with a bit of work on occassion.

Are you gullible enough to belive everything you hear? Sounds to me like your friends are pulling your chain. I'm not aware of anyone knitting in the present civil service or outside of it for that matter.

Ask your friends to show you proof of their knitting or better still get them to knit something for you.

As for a good pension scheme, whats wrong with that? Aren't the BOI about to take industrial action because their pension scheme, which is also exellent, is about to be cut back for new recruits?

Murt

 

[tallpaul]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

Did not not watch Eddie Hobbs talk about them, far more eloquently than me, on his 30 things programme a few weeks ago ?

If Eddie Hobbs gives out so much about the Civil Service, why is he on several Govt. panels which are established by the Civil Service?

You just keep spouting the stereotype Rabbit, you might even believe your own mantra someday...

 

[rabbit]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

If Eddie Hobbs gives out so much about the Civil Service, why is he on several Govt. panels which are established by the Civil Service?

Answer : easy money / career decision to help his other sidelines. As regards " give out about ", do not shoot the messenger. He just told you the statistics.

 

[rabbit]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

Are you gullible enough to belive everything you hear?

No. Nor do I believe everything I would read from posters on the internet who may have a vested interest, and who I do not know.

Ask your friends to show you proof of their knitting or better still get them to knit something for you.

I have seen knitting they have done there, thank you. I personally do not like knitted garments so would not wear something they knit, even if they would. However, I know them pretty well, and know when they tell the truth.

 

[rabbit]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

off at 5pm??!! I wish! I generally work about 8am till 6pm or later with 30-40 mins for lunch and no coffee breaks.

I never met a civil servant who worked like that. Pull the other one if you expect me to believe the average civil servant works like that.

i'll give you the job security one alright.

Good. Not too many civil servants have lost their jobs over anything.
Contrast that with the manufacturing industry for example.

in terms of salaries, i agree that cs jobs may be well paid relative to other jobs in some parts of the country.

plus the perks like pensions....

 

[michaelm]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

I'd have to lean towards rabbit's argument on this. Stereotypes are often statistically based. There are plenty of handy jobs in the civil/public service with reasonable pay, job security, better holidays and breaks. There's also a lot of incompetence and inefficiency but I guess you can find that in any sprawling organisations. I'd reckon in general that if you don't work for your self you should get into the civil/public service.

 

[gianni]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

Stereotypes are often statistically based.

Stereotypes are ideas held by some individuals about members of particular groups, based solely on membership in that group. They are often used in a negative or prejudicial sense and are frequently used to justify certain discriminatory behaviors.

Stereotype production is based on:

• Simplification
• Exaggeration or distortion
• Generalization
• Presentation of cultural attributes as being 'natural'.

Stereotypes are seen by many as undesirable beliefs imposed to justify the acts of discrimination and oppression. It is thought, education and/or familiarization can change these misbeliefs.

 

[CMCR]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

I never said civil servants do nothing. I have friends in the civil service who say they have done their knitting and read papers and books there, along with a bit of work on occassion.

Just out of interest, what government department do these 'friends' work in? Is it the Department of Pluto?

 

[messyleo]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

obviously rabbit thinks that it's cute little furry animals or magic fairies who appear in the middle of the night, rather than hard working civil servants, who produce things like the Budget, Trade agreements, write a wealth of important publications etc. every year. I mean obviously there's absolutely nothing of importance produced by the C.S, I mean who even cares about the Estimates out on Wednesday, eh? Trivial!

 

[gearoidmm]

Not to mention the health service which, for all that people give out about it, the hours are horrible.

 

[Glenbhoy]

Its not supposed to be like this, but in Ireland it is. Ask Eddie Hobbs. He had a bit to say about civil servants there recently.

Firstly, it's not just in Ireland, you want to see them in Italy, and I imagine that the rest of continental europe is no better.
Secondly, having spent time in the public sector I gotta admit that Rabbit has a point and whilst not everyone is the same, i came across a lot more people whose workstreams were extremely underpopulated than one would normally do in the private sector.

 

[rabbit]

Re: Civil Service V Bank Job?

obviously rabbit thinks that it's cute little furry animals or magic fairies who appear in the middle of the night, rather than hard working civil servants, who produce things like the Budget, Trade agreements, write a wealth of important publications etc. every year. I mean obviously there's absolutely nothing of importance produced by the C.S, I mean who even cares about the Estimates out on Wednesday, eh? Trivial!

I never said or implied " there's absolutely nothing of importance produced by the C.S ". Far from it. The tens of thousands of people do a bit of work in between the coffee breaks, chatting etc etc. I know a few people who worked in the C.S.in Dublin, and married someone from somewhere else in the country, and who ended up getting a job in private industry "down the country". What a culture shock they got.

 

[rabbit]

Not to mention the health service which, for all that people give out about it, the hours are horrible.

I know some nurses who do work hard, are efficient and pleasant. In fact I would say most nurses have a difficult job and work hard. I do not tar everyone with the same brush. Yes, the hours in the health service are horrible, for those on shift work. Their pay does not compare favourably with the ESB , for example. However, Irish health workers are not the only people in the world on shift work.....and they do get plenty of days off.

 

[june]

what would be the quality of this knitting that is done in the civil service?
would it be a simple plain and purl scarf created in furtive moments under the desk or would it be a right complicated aran stitch geansai?
maybe diamonds, cables etc the kind of stitches that require the knitters FULL attention..
knitting is well known as a relaxing pastime and may even be contributing to a reduction in the stress levels of these workers thus actually increasing their well being, output and overall efficiency. you can't surf the net while you're knitting!