Government jobs are preferred due to greater stability and security perceived by many employees.
If government jobs weather downturns in the economy, private jobs are always at the mercy of market conditions, company performance, and reorganizations, thus rendering their existence futile. But private jobs might reward those willing to take risks and with the right attitude with quick advancement.
Job salary and benefits are usually fixed, and determined by the government. Often the lowest entry salary in these jobs is harder than the private ones, and thus government jobs tend to be endowed with special benefits such as a retirement pension, healthcare, and housing allowances. The private sector, on the other hand, usually pays higher starting salaries or cash bonuses based on performance and even merit. Healthcare options, retention bonuses, and retirement plans can, however, vary widely depending on the specific organization, which presents a situation where employees in the private sector may be required to save more toward their retirement.
In government jobs, the working
environment is less flexible, with a sort of imposed bureaucratic rigidity, taking with it quite a hierarchical structure where all roles and responsibilities are fairly defined. The processes, too, tend to be slow, as the procedures and documentation weigh heavily; however, most sorts of governmental jobs maintain a fair distribution of workload. In the private sector, the work environment is quite dynamic in contrast, with fast-paced work subjects in private jobs. Employees are often expected to multi-task, react quickly, and meet tight deadlines. In such an environment, the culture will likely edge more towards cutthroat, favoring an environment that promotes the innovative spirit and throws results into the foreground.
Most government jobs provide slow career growth by seniority and set promotion criteria.
While this can facilitate fairness, it may lead to slower development. In contrast, private jobs usually promote performance, skills, and initiative, which allows for faster employee advancement. Considering that positive performance will also quickly get noticed in private sectors, employees of these companies may best be introduced to far brighter prospects such as offshore assignments and cross-functional jobs. This fast-paced advancement comes, especially for those in the private sector, with great pressure to perform day in and day out and to remain forever relevant.
Government jobs, in general, are viewed to provide a better work life with regular working hours, generous vacation time, and little overtime required. This scenario proves attractive to many looking for stability and personal time. On the other hand, private jobs can have longer working hours, especially in tech.
