Cross-post from another forum about his new life in Spore civil service sector.
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I moved from Private to CS 1 year ago.
Civil Service need a lot of getting use to.
1st of all , meeting date lines can be at the expense of quality solution (e.g. if minster want a report by tomorrow, u got time to find 'quality solution' for him?')
2nd, the ppl above u do not know details, so they may any how issue a directive which may not be technically as easy to implement as they think and hence give very short datelines. many a times, u have to talk to the top guys and convince them of proper solution and time line.
3rd, civil service u better cover ur behind with a lot of proper documentation cos they may anyhow use ppl as scape goat when something go wrong, your boss will never take the blame.
4th ur ability to spend the budget is more important than your bottom line (there is no P/L in most stat boards), the ministry give u $, u better spend it by this FY, if not your boss going screw u when the ministry dun give u as much to spend next FY.
5th, departments can be isolated so if under bad boss, u die there also ppl dun know one, boss can be nasty at u calling u names and u still have to keep quiet unless u want to whistle blow him when u want to leave CS forever.
6th, ppl in CS get very work up if VIPs come to visit e.g. minsiter or higher, there will be panic attack and ppl all get very rile up and temperamental!
But there are perks, like i got 20 days leave as compared to private. i got more stable environment, increment is reasonable every year even if no promotion, my pay will still be reasonably good. every day if nothing much leave at 6pm, friday leave at 5pm. lunch break nobody care, my phone start ringing after 2pm. the bonus spread thru the year, (good and bad), i got bonus year end, this april another performance bonus. july another one.
========================
I moved from Private to CS 1 year ago.
Civil Service need a lot of getting use to.
1st of all , meeting date lines can be at the expense of quality solution (e.g. if minster want a report by tomorrow, u got time to find 'quality solution' for him?')
2nd, the ppl above u do not know details, so they may any how issue a directive which may not be technically as easy to implement as they think and hence give very short datelines. many a times, u have to talk to the top guys and convince them of proper solution and time line.
3rd, civil service u better cover ur behind with a lot of proper documentation cos they may anyhow use ppl as scape goat when something go wrong, your boss will never take the blame.
4th ur ability to spend the budget is more important than your bottom line (there is no P/L in most stat boards), the ministry give u $, u better spend it by this FY, if not your boss going screw u when the ministry dun give u as much to spend next FY.
5th, departments can be isolated so if under bad boss, u die there also ppl dun know one, boss can be nasty at u calling u names and u still have to keep quiet unless u want to whistle blow him when u want to leave CS forever.
6th, ppl in CS get very work up if VIPs come to visit e.g. minsiter or higher, there will be panic attack and ppl all get very rile up and temperamental!
But there are perks, like i got 20 days leave as compared to private. i got more stable environment, increment is reasonable every year even if no promotion, my pay will still be reasonably good. every day if nothing much leave at 6pm, friday leave at 5pm. lunch break nobody care, my phone start ringing after 2pm. the bonus spread thru the year, (good and bad), i got bonus year end, this april another performance bonus. july another one.
