Government jobs

As someone who has always been employed in the private sector, I'd like to know what people think of working in government jobs.

How does it compare to private industries and what are the pros and cons?

Thanks

As someone who has always been employed in the private sector, I'd like to know what people think of working in government jobs.

How does it compare to private industries and what are the pros and cons?

Thanks

Gov. jobs=
Lots of time off, not much work, lots of time off, regular pay increases Oh did i mention the time off

Used to know someone there, not me! He was never there and when I would ask whats happening, I would get the response "Just heding home" at 2-2:30

The biggest advantage of a government job is job security!!

Oh, and lots of time off.

It's sounding pretty good so far

i've been working with government for eight years, looking fwd to my LSL in a couple of yrs time!

pros: flexible (flex hours), great working conditions, job security, periodic payrise according to performance and CPI, heaps of other benefits - union, leaves, super etc.

cons: salary/wage comparably less than private sector, hard to get promotion (unless someone is retired or get ran off by a bus)

cheers

You get to wear a cardigan, geeky specs and carpet slippers to work.
You don't have to wash, you can talk in abbreviations and if you can't delegate, mumble...

Honestly Colette you're much too good-looking to work in a government job .

Last edited by Ratmick on Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

On the up side, certain posts come with a Hi Vis Jacket!

Thanks for the info Leon, that's interesting to know.

Ratmick, I'll take that as a compliment - and carpet slippers could be fun

PhotoMike, you've sold me

Hi Colette,

I can imagine the first day at work you rock up with your motorbike gear on...

Now I've seen you in your gear. You're going to have all the long-term inmates running around looking for "Form 8769A Improper Thoughts: Disbursement thereof in Triplicate" and they'll all get their cardigans sweaty and even more rumpled (and that's NOT a good look) .

Seriously, it'll all of a muchness nowadays and apart from Flexitime/RDOs, slightly below-average salaries and generous leave allowances it would be ok.

Mick

As someone who has always been employed in the private sector, I'd like to know what people think of working in government jobs.

How does it compare to private industries and what are the pros and cons?

I've worked for large private-sector corporations and as a contractor to government depts and, honestly, it beats the shit out of me what, if any, the differences are...

...both have dysfunctional systems, ill-thought-out and ignored-in-practice procedures, incompetent management, unmotivated staff, stillborn projects by the dozen, squandered resources by the truckload...

If you drive a desk at a large bank, insurance company, telecoms firm or IT services provider, your experience is pretty much what it'd be if you were, instead, working for a government department... anybody above and including the level of section head has no hope of getting anything done, anybody below that level simply doesn't care.

The flexible-working-hours thing is a myth... you're just as likely to have the option of working 7-3 or 11-7 in the private sector.
The lower-pay thing is patently arse-about... unless you're fresh out of school, earning mid-40's as a graden-variety cubicle pilot in a government department is routine. What's, say, a claims clerk at an insurance company earn?
Job security; also a myth... it's just as easy for a gov't dept to eliminate your position as it is for a company in the private sector. That's not even a recent development. When the current federal government first got in 11 years ago, one of the first things they did is cut the number of federal government department staff by half.

Ultimately, try this experiment... go spend a morning standing outside, say, Defence Plaza on Pitt St in the City and study the people streaming in for work. How old are they? How are the dressed? What are they carrying? What are the expressions on their faces? Then, the next morning, go do the same out the front of, say the Deutsche Bank building on Hunter St, and see if you can spot any differences. If you can't and it's the same mixture of marble-faced middle-aged men in suits, overdressed girlies in their early twenties and thirty-something out-of-shape men and women with vacant looks in their eyes heading in to do a day's attendance at both, how different can the work environment be?

Thanks I-K, it's helpful to hear from someone who has experienced both sectors and perhaps the differences many imagine to be present ,are relics of the past - and as you note - no longer the reality.

......both have dysfunctional systems, ill-thought-out and ignored-in-practice procedures.... incompetent management.......unmotivated staff......stillborn projects by the dozen........squandered resources by the truckload...no hope of getting anything done.....anybody below that level simply doesn't care.....The flexible-working-hours thing is a myth...The lower-pay thing is patently arse-about... ... it's just as easy for a gov't dept to eliminate your position as it is for a company in the private sector........

Mate, are you back on those happy-pills again ???? I told ya they improved your disposition, you *gotta* stay off them !!!



Col - it all depends on the govt agency you end up working for. Some are good, others not so good. Try and get a look at the CA or employment agreement, before you decide.

Col - it all depends on the govt agency you end up working for. Some are good, others not so good. Try and get a look at the CA or employment agreement, before you decide.

Also depends on if you are talking State or Federal. I work for the federal and our conditions and pay seem to be better than state level. The CA's CDA's EA's (in short Agreements) for all Government branches are public record, so you should be able to look up conditions and expected salary well before you even apply. The only usual variation to this is if you go on to an AWA and then its open slather.
As for not being able to get promotions, again all depends on the branch and the person. I have been with Centrelink for 4 & 1/2 years and have gone from an entry level band 2 position to an upper band 3 position (equivalent to middle management) by putting in the effort. Others I work with are throw backs to the bad old days and have been with the department for 20+ years and have barely moved.
I came from a large private sector firm in to Centrelink thinking "this will last maybe 12 months, until I find something better that I will actually like" and after 4 & 1/2 years I can't see me leaving. I like the job security and flexibility (as previously mentioned.......lots of time off) and sure the money is slightly lower (depending on your level) but there are other pay offs too. No one has mentioned our Super Schemes ( I personally get 21%) some are higher some are lower, the option to move departments or branches with out losing service entitlements (ie LSL), and the more than generous travel arrangements and allowances.
Like any job, you need to go in with your eyes open, but now I'm "in", I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a while.

HTH

PS. any IT nerdy types like me, keep an eye on the weekends papers as we are recruiting. We have just created an IT HUB in Adelaide and need to fill it.

I've done both private and public (Commonwealth), and I reckon the differences are minimal overall, except the very worst public sector jobs are still way ahead of the very worst private sector jobs. Large organisations tend to have a similar set of ways to get things done, regardless of whether they're owned by taxpayers or shareholders and the imperatives are basically the same ie. deliver the product or service effectively at the least possible cost. That's tempered in the public sector by the fact that Ministers don't like to look like carn'ts in running their Departments, and the public service is supposed to be a 'model employer' and set a good example.

My view of the public sector isn't quite as negative as I-K's and the flexible working hours, job security etc, all still exist where I work. The pay is not bad, but I could still do marginally better in the private sector, but that would rely much more heavily on bonuses and other performance pay. If you're looking at NSW public sector, they tended to get paid very well when I worked up there 2 or 3 years ago.

Bottom line? I'm in no hurry to get a private sector job again.

Thanks Plas and Billz, all this info is really giving me a good view of things. Cheers