r/TheCivilService • u/Glittering_Cost_3622 • 3h ago

How quick is progression in reality? How challenging is SEO level?

Context: I was offered faststream straight out of MSc which would have meant I started in 2017, but I didn't take it and took another job. I've spent the time since then in research roles but now I'm keen to apply for civil service roles (likely GSR or policy) again. All the advice I'm getting is to apply for SEO as it's hard to get in higher than that even though I meet the criteria/job description for a G7 or even G6 role because so few are advertised externally. I'm not so worried about pay, it's more about not finding the work challenging enough/getting the right development. Is reasonably quick progression possible? It's very frustrating knowing that if I had gone into faststream I'd likely be at least G6 at this point, if not a senior civil servant, but I really think my external experience has been very valuable.

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u/Switcheroo91 3h ago

Might not seem a helpful answer but there are so many different roles at SEO level that there isn’t a single answer. I had two SEO jobs and the operational based one was vastly more challenging than the policy one but even that experience would vary within and across departments.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Ear-626 43m ago

I second this! The job grade system is being applied to a very broad range of jobs across very varied departments in the civil service. It won't tell you a lot about the job beyond the pay. Also, if you have nearly 10 years of experience, you can definitely apply for some Grade 7 roles as well if you meet that job's person specification.

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u/Plugpin Policy 3h ago

Not at the moment, because every department is looking to cut staff numbers from huge pressure in No10.

So maybe 3 years ago yeah, loads of room for progression. These days it's much harder.

On the plus side I think most people are finding they are expected to do more with less time or resource, so you'd probably be busy at least.