Where to get "grown up" career advice?

[Leeds220]

I'll own up from the start and admit that I'm currently a civil servant but I really want to move into the private sector now. The slow pace (IMO), low morale and lack of that profit motive has got to me now after 4 years on the graduate fast stream.

So I'm looking for some "grown up" careers advice to help me figure out where my skills are most transferable. All the sites and organisations I seem to find are targeted at school and university leavers. All I know is that I can't do anything involving cold calling.

Any suggestions on good places to start looking for advice? I seem to be suited skills wise to general management jobs apart from them all asking for experience in their respective specific industries.

[rog007]

General management is fine, but in what sort of sector? You're going to have to go in everyday and face the myriad of management challenges, so you will really have to enjoy being there if you don't want to end up in the position you are in now. Any ideas? Once you have a feel for the sector that interests you I may be able to help further.

[Leeds220]

rog007 said:

General management is fine, but in what sort of sector? You're going to have to go in everyday and face the myriad of management challenges, so you will really have to enjoy being there if you don't want to end up in the position you are in now. Any ideas? Once you have a feel for the sector that interests you I may be able to help further.

I'm currently employed as an Economist so I'm pretty good analytically but I don't want to get into any really techie jobs now, endless discussions about the best regression models bore me. So I thought working with figures in general in banking/finance was potentially a good option or failing that possibly retail as I enjoy meeting new people rather than being stuck behind a desk all day,

The other barrier I've found is that I need to at least match my current salary of ~£35k so starting at the bottom of any graduate scheme again is out of the question really.

[rog007]

NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme finance stream or direct if you're already qualified and registered. NHS has a shortage of high quality finance staff who are good at contracts. Earnings can be £120k pa for Directors of Finance.

[Leeds220]

I'm currently looking into getting my current department to pay for me to go through the CIMA qualification so that if I decide to jump ship at a later date then I definitely have something that will be transferable.

I think my main issue is that the public sector just doesn't appear to be for me...

[rog007]

Then how about the utilities? Water, gas and electricity are sound organisations to get in to and they cover the whole of the UK so you'll always be close to one. Whilst they are private, they are of course heavily regulated so are a lot more stable than boom and bust banking or insurance sectors.

[Leeds220]

rog007 said:

Then how about the utilities? Water, gas and electricity are sound organisations to get in to and they cover the whole of the UK so you'll always be close to one. Whilst they are private, they are of course heavily regulated so are a lot more stable than boom and bust banking or insurance sectors.

Good idea, I'm off to search and see what there is.

Cheers for replying!