Public Sector Application forms

[Gavin]

Are a pest! And Long! And no personal statement or box for "outside work" stuff.

[NotoriousREV]

MrsREV is a SEN Teaching Assistant is usually on a temp contract (in case the child/school lose funding) so applies for jobs regularly. Even when applying for the same job in the same local authority they use slightly different forms each time. She hates it.

[Gavin]

"you might like to use the STARR method"

Hmmmm not really but apparently that massively reduces any chance of making it to interview.

Where I live Public Sector is a better place for pension, benefits etc. I am not going out on the road again so I will suck it up and hope for the best.

20 years of a civil service pension would top up the pittances I have from previous jobs.

[Orange Cola]

20 years of a civil service pension would top up the pittances I have from previous jobs.

Provided you don’t top yourself from frustration working in the public sector

Out of interest how much better are the pensions?

[Gavin]

20 years of a civil service pension would top up the pittances I have from previous jobs.

Provided you don’t top yourself from frustration working in the public sector

Out of interest how much better are the pensions?

Well my current job offers the workplace pension but I work PT so I don't even qualify so anything would b e better!

[Orange Cola]

Ah! Out of interest what’s the going rate for public sector? My state pensionable age is likely to be 70+ by the time I get there and my work pension is nothing like the ones people are retiring with now (some are a million plus on final salary).

[Gavin]

Ah! Out of interest what’s the going rate for public sector? My state pensionable age is likely to be 70+ by the time I get there and my work pension is nothing like the ones people are retiring with now (some are a million plus on final salary).

No idea, never worked in it but if I do get the job I will let you know. I think public sector are pretty variable. Police used to be really good, now it is just good, no idea on teachers pension despite my wife being one.

[Matty]

20 years of a civil service pension would top up the pittances I have from previous jobs.

Provided you don’t top yourself from frustration working in the public sector

Out of interest how much better are the pensions?

Source: Work in the public sector.

It's full of lazy, clock-watching, "not my job" types. Getting sacked from a public sector job is pretty much impossible, so people take the piss. Be prepared to sit in lots of meetings - I've had pre-meetings before meetings, which usually result in no decisions being made and delayed to a follow up meeting. They're a unique bunch.

However, good pension, decent pay, lots of holiday and full sick pay (again, people abuse the shit out of this) means that it can be quite a decent job in those respects.

[mr_jon]

My fireman mate retires next month, aged 51, 30 years service, with around a 50k lump sum and 20k a year for the rest of his life. Not bad if you are OK with the mental bleach for dealing with the RTA's and stuff. Though I understand from him that he's about the last to get the old generous pension.

[Gavin]

My fireman mate retires next month, aged 51, 30 years service, with around a 50k lump sum and 20k a year for the rest of his life. Not bad if you are OK with the mental bleach for dealing with the RTA's and stuff. Though I understand from him that he's about the last to get the old generous pension.

Funnily enough, I applied up in Edinburgh for the Fire Service at 21. Passed the written, the practical, the physical and both interviews then no job. I later found out if you didn't have a brother, father, uncle or similar you had almost no chance.

If I had got in I would be retiring in about 6 or 7 years!

Fact is, I either go out on the road to earn similar money and have not much of a pension and have the stress of targets or chasing a team to hit targets, or I go public sector and just put up with the potential for many many meetings and just be happy with safety and stability.

Thanks to Brexit/Project Fear my commission which is a really good deal has plummeted over the last two years and I would rather my wages were not so affected by markets, particularly given the outlook...

[unzippy]

Once you have done a few you will have a library of copy and pastable examples - it becomes easier.