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> Where once GCHQ et al were desirable places to work From a US perspective, Britain has low salaries in the private sector, but the civil service is even wors

> Where once GCHQ et al were desirable places to work From a US perspective, Britain has low salaries in the private sector, but the civil service is even worse. You would have to squint carefully at the benefits before joining.

cmdshiftf4 6y ago
I’m not sure what spurred you into action to offer up... well this... but do please keep in mind that many of us outside the USA don’t put money ahead of literally everything else in life as most Americans seem to.
- hevelvarik 6y ago
  Anything more you care to say about what most Americans seem to ... You have to have quite the vantage point to have insight like that. It’s more than likely that you all on the other side of the Atlantic aren’t our betters
inquirerofsorts 6y ago
It's exactly the same in the US public service. The TLA's have been complaining about it for years and they are essentially hamstrung with defined public service salaries. It's a shitty situation for natsec operators and institutionally hard to change. All of which has essentially led to the proliferation of greymarkets for exploits like Zerodium et al. The situation is likely far worse for the States than the UK as the salary differential is greater and the agencies can only hire citizens. Do note that the US government is now the biggest buyer of malware on the planet, not really that surprising when you look at the circumstances.
billyruffian 6y ago
I'm a software engineer working in the UK Civil Service for the last 5 years after a 15 year career in the private sector (including a few short stints in Menlo Park). You are right, the money is far, far from the best I could earn but then on top of the 8 days of public holidays I get 30 days leave (plus an extra day for the Queen's birthday, gawd bless 'er), flexible working hours, a pension that's worth way more than I accrued privately and a cultural abhorrence workhouse practices I've experienced in the private sector. Best of all, I get to work on systems which touch entire populations. I guess Type-X personalities need not apply.

cmdshiftf4 6y ago

I’m not sure what spurred you into action to offer up... well this... but do please keep in mind that many of us outside the USA don’t put money ahead of literally everything else in life as most Americans seem to.

hevelvarik 6y ago
Anything more you care to say about what most Americans seem to ... You have to have quite the vantage point to have insight like that. It’s more than likely that you all on the other side of the Atlantic aren’t our betters

inquirerofsorts 6y ago

It's exactly the same in the US public service. The TLA's have been complaining about it for years and they are essentially hamstrung with defined public service salaries. It's a shitty situation for natsec operators and institutionally hard to change. All of which has essentially led to the proliferation of greymarkets for exploits like Zerodium et al. The situation is likely far worse for the States than the UK as the salary differential is greater and the agencies can only hire citizens. Do note that the US government is now the biggest buyer of malware on the planet, not really that surprising when you look at the circumstances.

billyruffian 6y ago

I'm a software engineer working in the UK Civil Service for the last 5 years after a 15 year career in the private sector (including a few short stints in Menlo Park). You are right, the money is far, far from the best I could earn but then on top of the 8 days of public holidays I get 30 days leave (plus an extra day for the Queen's birthday, gawd bless 'er), flexible working hours, a pension that's worth way more than I accrued privately and a cultural abhorrence workhouse practices I've experienced in the private sector. Best of all, I get to work on systems which touch entire populations. I guess Type-X personalities need not apply.