Dr Hu

Vaguely considering applying for a job as an ICT Customer Suppport position at a local district council, not totally understanding what this title means, but the job description just sounds like a PC Support infrastructure role - no probs there.

My worry is the job description and 'person description' is full of so much bull**** it's untrue - you couldnt make it up - its all qualiative this and measurable that, quantative the other....

Are local district councils a nightmare to work for? - Is it all red tape and bull****?

I'm used to working in industry, with pretty much the run of the IT dept and total control of purchasing, no budget to speak of etc etc.

Would the beaurocracy drive me mad?

Wages are (surprisingly for a council) a bit better than I get now, but the distance to work would over halve and i'm trying to get more home life.

I hear that working for the council is a good thing - they do flexitime, good pension, no after hours working etc

Anybody got any good, bad, horror stories?

TIA

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I work as a DBA for the Police, good terms and conditions but the bottom line salary is less than in industry. I get 29 days hold plus flexitime, this enables me to take another 13 days a year off, plus the bank hols its about 50 days which is great, nothing worse than only having 20 days.

It is the most PC organisation in the country, a bit ott but then again they got that much stick in the past I can see why, even when you arent racist, sexist or homophobic sometimes you are made to feel like you are, you have to be very careful but with that in mind its ok.

I get a very good pension (while it lasts) and am not put under immense pressure, plenty of training, currently on an Oracle course for a week, 5 mins from home, this is the third in the last 12 months.

The trouble is that, on Jobserve or whatever people only see the bottom line salary, not the benefits and to be honest its fairly cushy, thats not to say we do nothing but its not like working for a small private company, 12 hour days are few and far between and if you do them you dont lose the time because of the flexi.

The bullsh1t is ott, I went for promotion, there were only two candidates me and a grad with no experience and no Oracle Certification (a requirement), I got put through an 'in-tray' exercise which I failed on Strategic Perspective, I hadnt reference my answers to the Business plan ?????? I thought the role was for a Senior DBA not a master in management BS which is what seems to get you on there, so I didnt get it and they didnt recruit, cant see why they knock people back for **** like that when they cant get anyone.

I could earn more as a DBA elsewhere but it suits at the moment, the knock back even though the salary increase was tiny made me think whether I still want to work there.

Simon K

Im currently on a contract for the Government. Let me just say that only sad nutters seem to work here. Cripples, phlids, spastics, lezy's, homo's, transgenders, the whole lot seem to be here.

I come from the investment world of the city, and Ive never worked with such lazy, dull, non productive, "Its like that, so leave it" way of thinking.

Once you work for government, you cant get fired, i.e. even if you pulled your john thomas out and pissed over your boss while firing shots are your work colleagues. Training seems to be rare, everyone seems to go off ill over the slightest cold, everyone seems so PC e.g. someone got a written warning for saying black coffee ! hahahah incredible.

If your a young guy, in the start of your career, unless you want to become old before your time, then I would say dont bother ! Also, money is money, I dont work for the fun of it, I want cold hard cash. Hence why Im a contractor.

Infact, as Im writing this, Im watching, listening to two old women trying to work out how to use the photo copier. One told the other one that she is scared of it and needs the other one there for support.

FOR F**K SAKE !

SBK

TopBanana

PMSL I did a stint in the public sector during the last downturn, can identify with the above although it wasn't quite so PC luckily!

The Zohan

He, he! - i know exactly what you mean, having done a fair work for local govenment for he last 12 years or so. You get the odd good one and the rest...........

David Lock

Why don't Civil Servants look out of the windows in the mornings?



'cos





They'd have nothing to do in the afternoons........

davyboy

I spent over 3 years at our local council! Most people are unhelpful, misrable and petty, the rest are w@nkers.

Oh, and the offices are generally dirty, smelly with 25 year old office furnature. The benefits might be good and the salary might not be bad....well, thats what you'll tell your self after another mind numbing day doing **** all day.

But basically, unless you are a one armed, black, spastic lesbian then don't work in local authority.

I'd not want to employ anyone from there....or forces for that matter!

Gutmann pug

[quote=davyboy]I

But basically, unless you are a one armed, black, spastic lesbian then don't work in local authority.

quote]

pmsl

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Quote,

'Im currently on a contract for the Government. Let me just say that only sad nutters seem to work here. Cripples, phlids, spastics, lezy's, homo's, transgenders, the whole lot seem to be here.'

I doubt you would get through the interview based on that even if you wanted to, I am just interested to know why the above is such a problem for you, I am a herterosexual white male with no disabilities which is perhaps why I will never get promoted in local government (hence the need for a move) but I dont see what the problem is with 'Spastics', I work with a guy who has Cerebral Palsy who is a good mate and apart from his disability as normal a bloke as I know, he comes in and does his job and goes home to his wife and child, what is he meant to do sit in a day care centre ?, if a local authority will give him work (which he does well) why's that a problem, one thing you learn through life is that one minute you can be able bodied and the next a 'Spastic' or a 'Cripple'.

There are Gay people in all walks of life, I dont think there are any more at our place than anywhere else, again, cant see why that would be an issue ?

There are a few sad nutters there though, I have worked in the private sector and there are nutters there as well, not just as many.

Anyway, I just hope for your sake they aint logging your email, have seen it happen.

davyboy

I've just thought of a good thing...

....nope it's gone again!



Oh yeah - the online betting websites were unblocked so I could spend all day gambling I could also get in whenever I liked, and leave whenever I liked and have 2 hour lunch breaks.......go back to the office for a sleep.

All at the tax payers expense

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Hah, used to be like that at our place, now its patrolled with ruthless efficiency, I got read the riot act for SN abuse.

davyboy

Get out of here!

Trouble is, the management are not measuring output, but spending their time monitoring staff because they don't have enough to do or the skills to motivate their workforce.

They may have a great member of staff who does a good job but surfs the net a little...he gets a bollocking.

Another member of staff who just is an unhelpful, lazy **** is though highly of as they don't do anything wrong.

Dave

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Sounds about right, or it did, they seem to be less officious nowadays, it was scary the ammount of effort they put into looking into it, every email got read, made us feel like criminals even though (most) had done nothing really wrong.

They are trying to get things moving at private industry speeds though.

davyboy

They put that much effort in as they don't have enough to do.

Bollocking someone for doing the job more efficiently than someone else (you can do your job better than Mr. X and surf the net!) means they should give YOU more work to do, ot bollock Mr. X!

If you worked for me and and your output was high, then thats fine. If I kept seeing you surf the net you'd get more to do. Only if you were crap, had little output, and surfed the net all day would there be problems.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Ok, youre the boss !

My output is not what it could be at the mo, have my head in books all the time, or doing practice tests for my exams, plus I never see my boss really.

I personally dont have a problem with anyone using the net as long as common sense is applied, BBC News at lunch is a bit different to SN during a busy morning, bit like speed and driving, common sense.

davyboy

Hhhhmmmmmmm

Yeah well, he'll be too busy checking telephone and net usage to come and say "hello", "how's things going" over a coffee.

Simon K

JACKO,
"Ok, youre the boss !

My output is not what it could be at the mo, have my head in books all the time, or doing practice tests for my exams, plus I never see my boss really.

I personally dont have a problem with anyone using the net as long as common sense is applied, BBC News at lunch is a bit different to SN during a busy morning, bit like speed and driving, common sense."

Arent you the good boy !

I surf all day, being in the IT dept, the guys that are meant to be checking are too busy protesting about thier european rights regarding chair height and desk position.

The only good thing about working in the Gov, is that is full of lazy sods, therefore tons of over time for the money hungry contracting types. Im currently on 2.5 times my normal contract rate due to over time.

Loving it, as once I finish Im going straight out and buying myself a new Range Rover Sport HSE, super charged bad boy !

SBK

Foot_Tapper

PMSL @ all the comments
I can identify with most of them. I dont surf SN , woooops caught.

I contract in a large pharmaceutical company, providing 1st, 2nd, 3rd line support (basically its just me, i do the lot ) for their field reps, but work in the head office.
I answer the phone then sort them out, simple. No logging and passing, a one stop shop.
I suppose I am fairly good at what i do, well am still in a job here after 18 months.
Someone jealous tw@t dobbed me for browsing the web, even though its none of their business and I dont work for the head office people.

Hey Davyboy, why wouldnt you employ ex-forces btw

davyboy

Because after 15 years of doing things a certain way, they find it difficult to change there way of thinking, and there style of doing things tends to put people backs up.

....they also find it hard to deal with normal office life which I can understand, they have been doing things one way for 15 years!

I'm not saying I would never employ one, but I'd certainly be cautious.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Mate of mine used to work in IT support for the local council. First day he got there he asked why the windows were all sealed shut ( office was on the third floor ) - all the other workers gave each other knowing looks before explaining it was a safety measure to stop suicide attempts !!!

Most of the people in the office had just resigned themselves to the fact that they were going to be there until they retired, and there was very little chance of them getting fired, so they just did the minimum they could get away with.

He stuck it out for about 3 months before leaving ( not through the window although he had considered it ) to find a real job.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

These are quotes from friends I've had over the years


"Working in the public sector will demoralise you, any effort to use common sense to aid efficiancy will be beaten out of you"

"I would rather stick needles in my eyes than work in the public sector"

"Full of little Hitler private sector rejects, or deadwood drifting to a pension"

I'm sure there are some good apples out there, but when you have reports of people planning their allowed sick day quota, concentrating their efforts tiptoeing around incompetants through fear of tribunals and more stress related sick leave - then happily shaft us for outrageous levels of council tax to pay for this collective ineptitide, I can believe the last quote sums up local council pretty well

mrsf

I've work for the local council for 12 months and totally agree with this....unless you can win awards in brown noseing (sp is there such a word!?!) then you aren't going anywhere. Most people here sit there do the minimum and go home, same old same old every day. I've just handed in my notice.....says it all!

mannyo

I work in the IT department at a local council, but I work for an outsourcing company. The view I see is different because I dont actually work for the council. The council seems to have a set way of doing things, and what goes on is largely driven by the various councillors. The councillors seem to be basically treated like Gods, what they say goes, even if it maybe wrong. The staff struggle to work round them. Yes there is stress, some departments are worse than others, especially those that have to deal direct with the public. The same thing goes for the IT budget, ever shrinking so that they dont have to put the council tax up to much.

Foot_Tapper

hmmm maybe I wasnt the typical service person then lolol, have left in '94
been in IT ever since.

Though thinking about what you say, I have come across a lot of ex-forces people when working at Defence industry places (no names etc)
A lot of whom ( i wont generalise) are very beligerant (sp), arrogant, talk down to people. These were usually persons who had left in semi senior, or senior positions for their trades. They were used to treating others, usually below them like sh*t, and they carry it on in civvy life.

Dr Hu

Hmmm - well thanks for the replies - I can't say you've talked me in to it!

It's a good job i asked.......LOL

I did have a suspicion it may be full of pension drifters though - as lets face it it would be a job for life.

plus i'm not a black, one armed spastic lesbian - so probably would'nt get the job anyways

Foot_Tapper

yea sorry Dr Hu, I think i got off topic a bit.
Sounds like if you can do your own thing, whilst coping with the PC people, then you will probably be ok.
I expect a thick skin would help

Simon K

Foot_tapper, my g/f works for a similar company like yours. You dont work for Pfizer do you ?? Or Glaxo.. ??
Where you based ?

I often get rung up about contracts down in Sandwich Essex. Money's not bad, but bollox to working dow nthat area.

SBK

SBK

Foot_Tapper

Simon, did u say *fizer ? might be ....near Jct 8 M25

mike1210

LOL so true some of the comments on here. I also worked at my local council and to be honest I loved it. I was able to get an ICT job, had no experience so was great to get experience. First day i turned up I couldnt believe how relaxed everything is. Yes many people there do nothing whatsoever on good money and its mega petty. offices where women are it was 65 degress centigrade as they all have their own heaters. One woman went to hospital because someone as a joke threw a rubber ball (very light) which hit her on the head. At the council being good at your job seems to take second place over being popular, where i was it did anyway. Job interviews are shamelessly fixed etc.

Simon K

Foot_tapper, walton *aks ? :-) yeap, my girlfriend works there for the U-Can dept. Nice place, been to plenty of the work's do's around Xmas time.

Pfizer have lots of sun/solaris stuff down in Sandwich, but not sure what you lot use up in Walton *aks.

SBK