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What are the main differences in terms of job security, benefits, hours, pay, etc? Looking at a couple different jobs and one is in a large corp and another is in state government
I've worked in private sector and state government and personally liked government better. I left private after starting a family. I knew I could have been making more money in corporate, but knowing that I would be home with my family every evening to make dinner, play games, etc. was more important. Plus the threat of being laid off was less in government (no mergers, company takeovers, bankruptcies, etc.) Medical, dental, and vision benefits were a bit of a wash in my case. I got more holidays and vacation time in government. They are definitely different cultures. Just go with your gut and pick whichever you thinks will be the better fit for you. Good luck!
What are the main differences in terms of job security, benefits, hours, pay, etc? Looking at a couple different jobs and one is in a large corp and another is in state government
Depends on the company and how in demand your profession is now and IN THE FUTURE,
I would vote government everytime - unless your state is having serious financial problems. I am retired and if I had it to do over again I would NEVER work in the private sector.
You might want to read this - an admission made 4 years ago by the top bank that the rich are getting much, much richer and everyone else will be left behind. Only good place to be is in government. But, in the end, you know your situation best.
Whataya kidding? You ever hear the old saying? "What do you do for a living"? "I work for the govt". "Oh so you don't work".
And how true that is. Govt provides automatic cost of living raises which almost always exceed inflation. Private sector the word "raise" is something you will only read about in history books. Some of the bigger companies still might give a whole quarter/hr raise each year. Hey big spender!!! Govt provides health care that is second only to the health care provided to White House employees. Private sector is phasing out providing health care. At the very least the employee must fork out more and more each year to cover their portion.
On the other hand if it is respect you seek then work in the private sector. Govt employees are usually viewed as lazy azzes who mooch on the backs of the sucker....oops sorry I mean tax payer.
Whataya kidding? You ever hear the old saying? "What do you do for a living"? "I work for the govt". "Oh so you don't work".
And how true that is. Govt provides automatic cost of living raises which almost always exceed inflation. Private sector the word "raise" is something you will only read about in history books. Some of the bigger companies still might give a whole quarter/hr raise each year. Hey big spender!!! Govt provides health care that is second only to the health care provided to White House employees. Private sector is phasing out providing health care. At the very least the employee must fork out more and more each year to cover their portion.
On the other hand if it is respect you seek then work in the private sector. Govt employees are usually viewed as lazy azzes who mooch on the backs of the sucker....oops sorry I mean tax payer.
There is so much false information in this post that I barely know where to start. If you choose to work for state government be prepared to work very hard and be very unappreciated. Generally state employees make significantly less than comparable level employees in private industry and federal government. In the best of times, annual COLA's never keep pace with inflation, and in today's economy COLA's have been totally eliminated. In addtion, in many states employees are being required to take furlough days without pay. Keep in mind, the work does not decrease; only the compensation and the time available to perform it.
The one thing that used to be an incentive to work for the state was good benefits. But now, even that is not the case, with many state employees paying more out of pocket for benefits that are inferior to those offered by many private employers.
Because of the lower salaries, it is very difficult to attract and retain qualified employees, so turnover is very high.
On the plus side, generally state employees at lower levels do not have to work more than a 40 hour week (this in NOT the case for management level employees). And many states still offer decent pension plans.
And it is patently false that most government employees are lazy and non-productive and can't be fired.
There is so much false information in this post that I barely know where to start. If you choose to work for state government be prepared to work very hard and be very unappreciated. Generally state employees make significantly less than comparable level employees in private industry and federal government. In the best of times, annual COLA's never keep pace with inflation, and in today's economy COLA's have been totally eliminated. In addtion, in many states employees are being required to take furlough days without pay. Keep in mind, the work does not decrease; only the compensation and the time available to perform it.
The one thing that used to be an incentive to work for the state was good benefits. But now, even that is not the case, with many state employees paying more out of pocket for benefits that are inferior to those offered by many private employers.
Because of the lower salaries, it is very difficult to attract and retain qualified employees, so turnover is very high.
On the plus side, generally state employees at lower levels do not have to work more than a 40 hour week (this in NOT the case for management level employees). And many states still offer decent pension plans.
And it is patently false that most government employees are lazy and non-productive and can't be fired.
Moral of the story here is - federal government work is preferable to state government work. I agree with that.
However, I have absolutely no confidence in ANY private sector entity to provide job security, decent health insurance, not to mention retirement benefits for their employees much longer. And job security - again - read the link I posted above. The working class will continue to get poorer and poorer with each recession as when they are reemployed their earnings will be lower than previously. This has been a pattern since the 80s.
Do not expect fair treatment from any for-profit, non-government entity. Your chances of job security, acceptable benefits while working and a respectable retirement are far better in the public sector. I am speaking from personal experience. Biggest mistake career-wise I ever made was not accepting a government job when it was offered. I went into the private sector, working for the richest and most powerful men in my city - who eventually reduced their retirement commitment to their employees 75% - to the level it barely covers the grocery bill in a month - all the while paying themselves multi-millions each year. There was no financial reason for this other than their own personal greed.
Yes, all the local and state governments are under immense pressure - furlough days, etc - due to reduced tax revenues. This will accelerate as the economic recovery will be very sluggish. If your state is in good shape, I still stay go for it.
There is another thread on this board on federal government jobs. Interesting posts from public employees - some who were conscientious and dedicated - and some who have seen abuses. The abuses exist, of course, but they are not the only side of that coin.
There is so much false information in this post that I barely know where to start. If you choose to work for state government be prepared to work very hard and be very unappreciated. Generally state employees make significantly less than comparable level employees in private industry and federal government. In the best of times, annual COLA's never keep pace with inflation, and in today's economy COLA's have been totally eliminated. In addtion, in many states employees are being required to take furlough days without pay. Keep in mind, the work does not decrease; only the compensation and the time available to perform it.
The one thing that used to be an incentive to work for the state was good benefits. But now, even that is not the case, with many state employees paying more out of pocket for benefits that are inferior to those offered by many private employers.
Because of the lower salaries, it is very difficult to attract and retain qualified employees, so turnover is very high.
On the plus side, generally state employees at lower levels do not have to work more than a 40 hour week (this in NOT the case for management level employees). And many states still offer decent pension plans.
And it is patently false that most government employees are lazy and non-productive and can't be fired.
If it wasn't true I would not have said it. Does that make sense? You obviously work for the crooked corrupt govt and are defending it. How can I say anything bad about that when most people hate their jobs? But if you don't see what goes on you are not looking or maybe just don't want to see.
Your (not mine) govt is the most corrupt and inefficient regime at handling money. If me or you balanced our check books like they did we all would be out of business.
Back to the OP, many large corps probably provide better benefits than government. State governments are strapped and health plan costs have risen enough that substantial contributions are required by employees (similar to industry).
Government pay is generally less than in industry, and can be subject to the whim of the legislature in addition to economic conditions. You might get more holidays in government but at the same time you might be subject to furlough. Professional jobs in government bureaucracy are likely to be categorized as exempt under FLSA so no overtime and expectation of 50, 60, 70, or 80 hour weeks depending on the critical function of the job, just like in industry.
Politics can be equally nasty in government as in the private sector, and even moreso if you're coming into a state government position for the first time; there are plenty of "lifers" in government work who know people and they know the system and how to work it to their advantage.
Retirement in government is usually primarily through a pension plan; if you're not going to stick it out long-term your chances of recovering any retirement income is slim to none. In industry at least you can sock a big chunk into a 401(k) and take it with you when you leave. Government has 457(b) plans which are similar to 401(k)s except not as portable and given the lower prevailing wage you're less likely to have money to fund the plan to any great extent.
Both private and public sector jobs can be worthwhile
I worked in the private sector for nearly thirty years before taking my first job with state government, so I've seen both sides. As a single person, starting my career over, I would surely begin as I did, in the private sector where things are created and where you are sometimes (not always; the world is not fair) rewarded for the risks and extra effort you put into a job. Moreover, the private sector can invest in employee morale in ways that are largely unseen in state government, such as paying for employee appreciation events or giving out bonuses for exceptional achievement.
At the point in life where job security and relative isolation from management mistakes means more than income and excitement, I would advocate looking at government employment. The pay will never equal what you would make in the private sector--as an engineer, I make what an experienced teacher in my state makes, which I see as wholly equitable--but unless you made the mistake of always living up to your means earlier in your career, it's not a problem.
The people you work with will be the same in either a private or a public setting: some are smart, some are not; some are hard-working, some are not; and some are honest, some are not. The myth that there is some magical difference between people who work in the private sector and the public sector is just that--a myth.
it's so stupid what the person posted. "Government provides automatic pay increases that almost always exceed inflation." If that's true, that would be an argument for working for the government, not for working in the private sector. If you get automatic raises without working, people would be flocking to these jobs. I don't think people are so noble that they would turn down automatic raises because they think taking free money is immoral. What a jerk.
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Both private and public sector jobs can be worthwhile
