forester

policy analyst

agent de programme

full stack developer

senior policy analyst

BC Public Service

You have to have strong problem solving skills from the initial set up of your own workstation, to figuring out the internal resources available to you to help you troubleshoot, right from the beginning. While other staff will help you the best they can, they too are overwhelmed with work and not many will have experience with your position. Expect to do self orientation. Your log in information and passwords might not be available for the first several days and you may not get your laptop and headset for several weeks. 

A typical day at work involves intense multitasking. You will be learning multiple processes and the work comes at you fast.  Expect each process to have over 15 steps.  One example might be working with financial processes that require: funding approvals, purchasing, receipts, and authorizations. This bundle of paperwork will bounce between the social worker, the admin (you) and the social workers supervisors. You will be emailing, scanning, stamping, doing data entry, and filing. You will have to keep all of this organized through it's cycle.  Expect delays for sign-offs.  This is one of multiple processes you will be expected to do many times each day. 

I have learned so, so much information within a few short months that there isn't room for more. I am told there are many more processes to learn. 

The supervisors I work with are supportive and empathetic because they feel just as overwhelmed as I do.

The hardest part of this job is trying to keep up.

I'd like to say that the most enjoyable part of this job is the satisfaction of getting all your work done but that would be a lie because it'll never happen. The best part is the shared camaraderie of people slowly drowning in work who have a dark sense of humor about it. 

Sometimes you'll see the social workers cry because there's no way to get their work done and they're desperate for positive reinforcement from management.

Only a self flagellating person would derive joy from this position. 


Former Employer Review: 

I had the privilege of working for the BC government, and I am pleased to share my thoughts and experiences. Throughout my tenure, I found the company to be an exemplary employer, consistently upholding a high standard of professionalism and integrity.

One of the most notable aspects of working for this organization was the emphasis placed on fostering a positive and inclusive work environment. The management team demonstrated a genuine commitment to employee well-being and personal growth, creating a culture that encouraged collaboration and innovation. Teamwork was highly valued, and I always felt supported by my colleagues.

Moreover, the organization's dedication to excellence was evident in its commitment to providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities. This investment in employee growth not only enhanced our skills but also contributed to our overall job satisfaction.

I must acknowledge the open and transparent communication channels that were cultivated within the company. Regular team meetings and management updates ensured that everyone was well-informed about the company's goals, progress, and any changes that affected us. This level of transparency fostered a sense of trust and unity among the employees.

Lastly, the organization's commitment to corporate social responsibility was truly commendable. They actively engaged in various philanthropic initiatives, demonstrating their dedication to making a positive impact on society.

In conclusion, my experience with this former employer was nothing short of exceptional. I am grateful for the opportunities I had, the skills I acquired, and the relationships I formed. I would highly recommend this organization to anyone seeking a rewarding and fulfilling work environment.

Pros: good work-life balance; lots of vacation compared to other employers. Flexibility on telework and if you know to brown-nose, there are opportunities to progress.
OK'ish: If you are a scientist, it is often the only and best profession you can get in BC except for municipalities that pay more. If you are an engineer, you may get more money in the private industry. Health cover ok, and retirement plan is also ok.
Con: Micro-management at its best. Endless meetings for the meeting's sake. Permanent check-in's in by several levels of management that don't have much better to do all day. Lots of chiefs, but often too few staff on the ground that get things done. Self-initiative, independence or creativity are all bad words. Slow-paced: decisions take literally years. If you have a BS/BA or higher degree, you will likely feel overqualified and bored to tears. Communication with "outside world" is heavily censured. 
Can be stressful, at times, but only because some managers believe that this is the way to show how important their job is.

Conclusion: Working for the public service is for those that look for a regular pay-check and security, generally without much stress. Consider it if family is more important than intellectual and personal growth for you, or if you just need money to live on the weekend or to pursue a hobby. However, the job is not for the doers and the creators, or those who want to have an exciting professional path. If one of the descriptions apply to you, you may feel miserable real quickly. However, if you are at the end of your career, getting prepared for retirement and don't mind being managed by some rookie youth who knows life and work only from books, if you are ready to do some meaningless job for a couple of years left before retirement - this is definitely your place!

Cons: Zero training. Toxic workplace. High turnover. Awful management. Pretty much everyone starts at auxiliary, but then leaves as soon as they are offered full time once they realize without warning how much of their wages are deducted each paycheque. Wage is below minimum wage after deductions. I worked here for 1 year, and never got benefits or vacation days because every time you move up you start from the beginning again, and they push you hard to move up. It takes FOREVER for them to hire people, so if you lose a co-worker be prepared to take on all the duties of their job on top of your own work. High burnout because of this.
Pros: Because of the high turnover, it is very easy to move up and earn slightly more (still not a liveable wage). The union is good. Co-workers can be nice, can be super mean too, just like at any other job, but bullying is tolerated so if you are a bully you will thrive here. Management is absent, so if you don't like management breathing down your neck and telling you what to do you will like this job. But also no management means that you have to figure everything out on your own so only independent workers and self starters should apply. Biggest pro is that you don't have to think about work once you go home. You WILL think about work because the job is awful, but you won't ever get a call in your off time.

Before cutbacks during the 2001-2017 Liberal era, BC Public Service used to be a great place to work, with sufficient staffing to get the job done without swamping people.  But after the cutbacks, managers ended up clueless about the work being done by those under them, thus resulting in the latter being under-resourced.  I was constantly being interrupted with special requests and urgent demands.  16-hour days were the norm for me.  The pay and benefits were tight to live off of, given the high costs of living in BC (thanks to real-estate speculators, money laundering, and population growth due to excessive immigration at the federal level).

A typical day at work was checking our database for work coming in and developing plans to deal with the work then consulting and advising our clients. This meant having good listening skills to hear the problem/issue and then developing, with the client, steps to move forward. The issues could be labour relations related or plans to accommodate staff or prepare plans/letters to move staff forward if unacceptable behaviour or circumstances came up. The most enjoyable part of the job would be dealing with the manager/supervisor to move forward and then following up on the result. You had to work closely with your co-workers for exchanging ideas/results and learning moments. Management was supportive and provided guidelines when required. The hardest part of the job would be coming up with acceptable guidelines for managers/supervisors to abide by while going through difficult situations.

Worked in two different office settings at the ministry of health. Briefly worked at SSD, (Senior services department)and I  would not recommend working there. Management was awful  and it was a toxic work environment. management was passive aggressive and unwelcoming. 
However, totter health offices can be more positive. Where I work now Management has a laisser faire attitude and we don’t get a lot of positive feedback, often  only communication when there are mistakes of negative feedback. But employees are treated with respect.  Starting salaries at the ministry are quite low for the cost of living in Victoria but once you are in it’s relatively easy to move up or apply internally for higher paying jobs. 
It took about five months of waiting to get hired for me. If you’re applying externally be mindful of that and keep trying.

The management here is awful, the office has such a high turn over and almost all employees who come are just using it for a foot in the door if they’re lucky enough to make it through the probation period. The management is lead by a leader who believes in belittling and passing blame. You recieve almost no training and are expected to know everything, if you mess up you better hang on because you’re going to be treated like the whole world is falling apart because of you. Even if you don’t do anything wrong, your voice better be a sound they like, best to just keep your mouth shut and keep to yourself. The only way court services will be a better place to work is when something happens to the management. 

All day countless useless meetings and branch jargon that means nothing yet those who speak up or question anything are seen as the problem. Those working from home not sure what they do  as there is no work. But definitely good at deciding not our job and pawning off onto others. Public should know that this branch has some highly skilled individuals that are being stifled by upper management that has no clue what Records management practices are or even care to learn and have made it seem like all our education is worthless when someone who has no clue about Records management gets a position and then no one trains them and you sit at home thinking how did I find myself here but hey getting paid to do nothing is sa-weet. Yay public money!

Be prepared to work hard for "clients" who are incapable and/or unwilling to comply or even see why you're in their lives in the first place.  Case loads are heavy, and you soon learn that you're not going to achieve job satisfaction... just spend your days putting out various fires and hoping nothing blows up when you look away.

Some managers are understanding and do their best to mentor you, but others clearly need to move on as they seem to have lost sight of what it means to be human.

Colleagues are good, but don't get too comfortable as there are snakes in the grass.  The good colleagues are basically in survival mode, trying to stay out of trouble, continuing to put out those fires, and most likely searching for a better job.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Forester 2 salaries reported	$65,167 per year
Policy analyst 6 salaries reported	$72,407 per year
Agent de programme 2 salaries reported	$74,824 per year
Full stack developer 6 salaries reported	$91,689 per year
Senior policy analyst 10 salaries reported	$91,400 per year

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