Public sector jobs will be cut (see headlines below), but for the people affected the news isn’t all bad. Many public sector job skills translate directly into private sector job skills and moving between the public sector and private sector doesn’t have to be daunting if you arm yourself with the right knowledge.
If you or someone you know works in the public sector then recent headlines make uncomfortable reading:
- Public sector job losses ‘inevitable’, says Alistair Darling (Telegraph, 23 April 2010)
- 300,000 jobs in public sector face the axe (Times Online, 23 May 2010)
- Forecast suggests 600,000 public sector jobs to go (BBC News, 30 June 2010)
For anyone affected by public sector cost cutting and job cuts, then a move to the private sector might be necessary. For someone whose whole career has been in the public sector that might sound like a big step – and yes, of course some things are different – but people are people and skills are skills. There’s a good chance that the main difference in terms of career management and moving into a new job is the selection and interview process. There is a difference between competency-based and skill-based achievements. The difference is not in what a candidate has achieved, but rather in the way the information is presented to a potential employer.
If you currently work in the public sector, you have a number of options:
- Carry on and hope that the cuts won’t affect you
- Wait until cuts affect you and then act
- Act now ‘just in case’ so that if cuts do affect you, then you’re prepared
- Explore your options now and move before any cuts can affect you
- …and there are more options too.
Careers management advice from an experienced careers coach specialising in the move from public to private sector could help you to decide which option is best. Gateway has this experience and offers a free career review. So why not take control of your career now and book a free, no-obligation career review.