How prestigious/competitive is the civil service graduate scheme in UK?
I've seen some strong profiles on linkedin from cambridge/oxford do this, but then others from much less competitive backgrounds get in. Where does it rank?
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Imagine going to Oxbridge and only earning £28k upon graduation
It seems like the purpose of civil service in the US in many cases is to have already well-off people with international relationships move into positions with some level of government influence that bestow exclusive privileges while not requiring them to get elected. I would imagine the UK is much the same in that regard.
not the same in the UK... UK Civil Service is not that influential/ working there not as "powerful"
Between the 80's-2000's it was virtually reserved for the Oxbridge Classics/History/PPE Graduates. Think it's changed a lot now, also very dependent on the division you're in- something like International Trade, Foreign Office and HM Treasury (not even sure if that's part of the Civil Service Grad Programme) would be very cool, but you could also end up in some mundane boring one too.
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Interesting, yeah I've seen many who aren't privately educated get in so it seems to have changed. Do you know how easy it is to lateral to something like tier 2 strategy consulting from it, or would that need an MBA?
The current Civil Service is a mere shadow of its former self vs 80s... career upside has declined in line
I mean the programme itself is quite prestigious but the issue is is that the pay is extremely low for London living. From what I can gather, I think it’s quite difficult to live in London off of 28,000 GBP. It’s a shame as it means that the best talent among graduates don’t feel inclined to go to the Civil service and instead opt for professional industries such as finance and law.
I wouldn't say it's particularly prestiguous or competitive, at least not compared to banking, consulting, etc. The fast track scheme has a vast intake today, and while some disciplines (e.g. Diplomatic Service) are far more competitive than others (e.g. Work and Pensions), it's still very different to the former industries. Also be aware that, if declined for a more competitive discipline, you can still be offered a role in the less competitive.
It really depends though on where you see your career going of course - if your ideal role is a think tank or government role, then it's still by far the best place to start.
"Why the hell would you go to Oxford/Cambridge to become a fucking mailman?" -- my first thought here.
(Just another dumb Yankee in a different world than yours.)
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