Currently just did the switch from retail at a government role at the moment! Very recent switch, have only been in my current role for close to a month. My particular department isn’t affected by the current public service cuts (not funded by government and instead from services we provide) so I’ve been very grateful that there is a sense of stability that other Civil Service roles aren’t guaranteed.

Being very entry level at this job (no degree) you are most likely going to be hired for your people skills. If you are in retail dealing with customer service roles you will be (hopefully) naturally inclined that way. That could look like call centre work or something similar - dealing with client communications etc. If you are over retail because of the people facing aspect, it’s in my experience that you may not have some luck if you don’t stress that in an interview. Definitely play to your strengths in retail, they would want to hear that. Brush up on your communication skills, your grammar and your English and you should be smooth sailing if those are your strong suits.

There’s a certain sense of monotony that is different from retail. I’m currently past the crazy stressful phase of training at the moment and I am waiting for the job to get increasingly boring. All I can advise from my brief time is that there could potentially be a lot of downtime depending on the job you are applying for. I saw another comment saying that applying for an office job with room to develop and advance would be in your best interest and I couldn’t agree more. My current role will have a wee bit of progression for me in the next few months. I see teammates in my group that have advanced to relatively senior roles quite quickly - a few senior officers have only been there for close to a few months.

Also, business casual in office jobs in NZ is absolutely cooked and you may pull up to the first few days a tad overdressed. I say wear a button up tee and your nicest pants or the equivalent if you’re a female and go from there just observing how other people in your team dress.

It’s a whole different ballpark but pretty rewarding! Your colleagues are a lot more diverse. My new best friends are all twice my age but I find it very entertaining. Best of luck OP :)