job hunting

The Pros and Cons of Public and Private Sector Careers: Making the Right Choice for You

When it comes to work, positions generally fall into either the private sector (i.e., companies) and the other side is the public sector (i.e., government). In 2021, 21.1 million people worked in the public sector, which includes active military, and federal, state, and local government, including teachers, healthcare, and law enforcement. Last we checked, there were currently 44,878 public sector job openings on Indeed.com and, according to averagesalarysurvey.com, the average salary for public sector professionals is $71,420, the most typical salary being $52,000.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a career in the public sector? Let’s start with the “cons”

The most obvious con to working in the public sector is (for the most part) public-sector professionals earn less money than their private-sector counterparts. When your salary is paid by taxpayers, you’re not going to be making a million dollars with an expense account, company car, or stock options. The majority of the approximately 21.1 million public sector workers hover around that $52,000 mark.

And speaking of compensation, if you don’t want people to know how much money you make, stick to the private sector. When you work for the public, your salary is public. This is to promote transparency, ensure accountability, and prevent corruption. There are entire watchdog organizations that spend their time tracking taxpayer dollars, including salaries, to those ends (or partisan ones).

Also, Don’t expect a quick hiring process. Time isn’t money. Hiring for public sector jobs may take a long time, especially if it’s a job that involves sensitive areas and requires invasive background/security clearance checks. The military, education, health care, law enforcement, and government administration have their own onboarding processes (e.g., basic training, police academy, advanced degrees/teaching certifications, etc.,) and all of them take time. Patience and tenacity are required.

Additionally, unlike corporate America with its well-defined hierarchy and org charts, upward mobility may not be as clearly defined and it may take longer to move into higher positions of influence, power, and compensation. In the public sector, performance isn’t measured by the accounting department. It’s measured by less tangible criteria unique to its sector. For example, a private in the Marines, a public school teacher, and a police officer have very different missions and performance standards, but they are united by the fact they are taxpayer-funded and “rising in the ranks” isn’t based on profit. Patience and tenacity are required.

What if you’re a technologist? Unless you’re working for DARPA designing cutting edge systems, state-of-the-art technology doesn’t necessarily define the public sector. There is less money to spend on hardware, training, research, and development. 

On the other hand, a life of public service can be very rewarding. Here’s the “pros”:

The public sector is mission-driven, not profit-driven. You’re there to serve people. Personal happiness is often greatly enhanced by meaningful work and meaningful professional relationships. The public sector is designed to promote those two ambitions. Your work directly impacts your community – hopefully in a positive way!  

While the public sector’s base compensation and earnings potential is lower than the private sector, the compensation package may have its silver linings. Government benefits such as pensions, 401ks, health insurance, life insurance, etc., tend to be relatively robust. Schedules and vacation time may be more flexible. Since everybody knows the economic trade-off when working in the public sector vs. the private sector, the public sector will provide as many extras and perks as it can. 

Also, there tends to be greater job security in the public sector. There will always be a military, children who need to be educated, veterans who need health care, and cities and states that need dedicated and talented professionals to keep the lights on and roads paved. Public sector workers are less vulnerable during recessions. Nobody is going to buy out the local government and move it overseas. Everybody needs government services on an ongoing basis.

When it comes to overall performance, instead of slogging through a year-end financial report to know whether the company had a good or bad year like a private sector company, public sector professionals see the results of their work all around them every day. They interact with their customers – aka neighbors – all the time. The public sector is public service, so if you love to help people, the public sector may be your calling.

Then there’s the unique career opportunities which come available due to the nature of the services the public sector provides. you may get a chance to perform work that would otherwise be closed off to you. There are things that only the government can do and there are even more that only the federal government can do on a large scale. For example, emergency management. For all its public sector faults (e.g., slow), if you work for FEMA, you’re saintly. You go to where the disasters are and help people who need it the most. The National Guard does that too. And cops, firefighters, and every type of first responder. That’s pretty great and those kinds of opportunities are mostly found in the public sector.

And last, due to the nature of the federal government, many public sector jobs are overseas, so you may get to see the world. The U.S. military and federal agencies operate around the world. Bon voyage!


Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Busted! What To Do If Your Boss Finds Out You're Looking For A New Job

iStock | ioanmasay

Job hunting is difficult and complicated. So, you’ve put word out on the street that you’re open to hearing about new jobs. Lucky you – your boss just called you into her office to say she just found out you’re actively looking for a new job. In professional parlance, you’re busted. Here are some tips to manage this awkward reality:

1.     Don’t put yourself in this position. Manage your search with discretion. Don’t let anyone know. Don’t post your resume on job boards. Don’t activate the “Open to Work” icon on LinkedIn. Don’t use a company phone or email in contacting potential employers, since those are company property that track everything that’s on there. Conduct your search on personal time using personal equipment. Schedule interviews on a day off. There are only so many “doctor appointments” you can have before things get suspicious, so use common sense and keep your search a secret from everyone except people who absolutely must know (such as references).

2.     Assess the situation: You’re busted, but circumstances vary. Did you show up to the same job interview as your boss? Yes, that happens more than you think. Or were you careless and posted your resume on a public job board? Make as honest an assessment of all the moving parts in your particular case and proceed accordingly.

3.     Prepare for the worst. You may have no idea what kind of retribution may be forthcoming, which would not be surprising as this is a scenario that isn’t covered in most employee handbooks. With exceptions made for extreme situations like corporate restructuring that includes mass layoffs, it’s common sense that you don’t want your current employer to know you’re searching for a new employer. It’s like you’re cheating on them and hell hath no fury like a company scorned. The axe may fall.

4.     Are you the “Purple Squirrel”? If you’re one of the only people who know the secret formula for the widgets your company produces, or you’re the last standing COBOL programmer keeping the accounting software from wheezing toward a painful end, you may be the exception in this whole shakedown. It’s good to be indispensable. When they find out you have a foot and a half out the door, the company may take steps to retain you – or not.

5.     The coverup is worse than the crime: If you’re not immediately terminated, come clean. There is no reason to deny what there is clear evidence to support. Do not add, “lying through your teeth,” to the conversation. You can downplay the details but don’t lie. There’s nothing like a “moment of truth” to clarify what you want to do. If your admission rolls off your tongue easy as Sunday morning and you feel like a million bucks afterward then that is that. However, sometimes getting caught makes you realize you don’t really want to go anywhere. You’re inclined to stay, but only if your overall situation improved. For a brief moment, the door is open to that dialogue, as in number 6…

6.     If the door is open, take the opportunity to have a conversation about your career. If you’re caught looking for a new position, chances are you will need to address the situation directly. Request a meeting and express your commitment to your current role while emphasizing your reasons for exploring other options. Go in with a written career plan that spells out your long-term career goals and see if you can align on a path forward.

7.     Plan your next steps: Evaluate your options. Should you stay, or should you go? Only you can decide whether or not staying in your current position is the best course of action. Don’t make any false promises to stay. If it’s out in the open that you plan to move on, do so in as expedient and professional a manner as possible, and do your best work! Exceed expectations.


Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

The A-B-Cs Of Job References

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

One element of the hiring process that hasn’t gone completely digital these days is the professional reference. Two people are going to talk about you at your request and what they discuss matters. Just like you can win a job in the interview room, you can lose one during the reference check. 

When potential employers do a reference check, the expectation is the feedback will be positive (why else would you provide the reference?). If a hiring manager speaks to one of the references you provide and the conversation begins with, “I don’t know why [insert your name here] would give me as a reference,” then you’re in trouble. It shows you didn’t contact the reference, which is lazy, and that you lack good judgment because you’ve left yourself open to negative feedback. Loose lips sink ships and, in this scenario, you are the ship.


1.     Do Personal Job References Matter?

Yes. References are your opportunity to present your best professional self through the praise of professional peers. Every reference should be a home run. Your potential employer wants to hear about how great you are and the game is rigged in your favor. It should be an easy test to pass. Not passing matters.

 

2.     Do Potential Employers Really Check The References?

More often than not, yes, so expect references to be checked. Whether it’s perfunctory or a deep dive, your references will be checked. Many online job applications include sections for references and you’re not even able to submit the resume until you fill it in. That’s not an accident. Be just as diligent about your reference’s contact information as you would proofread your resume. Make sure everything is up to date.

 

3.     Should I Automatically Provide References To An Employer?

No. If you’re not required to provide references on a written application or online submission, you may, but are not required, to provide references. However, it does not hurt to include the perfectly acceptable “References available upon request.” That signals your willingness (a good sign) but you can defer to the employer’s requirements.

 

4.     How Do I Line Up References?

Your goal is to know your reference will provide positive feedback so, first and foremost, only choose people who you know will do that. The first line should be any current (if possible) or past partners/managers/supervisors. Nobody is going to complain that your former boss has agreed to be a reference. That telegraphs confidence in the outcome and should be followed by a glowing reference (see #1). If for whatever reason you don’t want to reach out to those people, your second line should be co-workers with whom you collaborated the most. Contact your top three and ask them if you may use them as a reference. Unless company policy prohibits providing references most people will agree. Confirm contact information.

 

5.     How Do I Know What A Reference Will Say About Me?

It is your job to know what your references will say about you. If you don’t, you may end up with the dreaded, “I don’t know why [insert your name here] would give me as a reference” or worse. Don’t just ask someone to be a reference. Don’t assume that an agreement to be a reference is the guarantee of a good reference. Have a dialogue with them about what a good reference means. Nobody is going to fault you if you call up an ex-manager and say straight up, “[Insert person’s name here] Will you be a reference for me and I need it to be a good reference.” Something like that should get the dialogue going.

 

6.     Are Reference Letters Useful?

In Europe, letters are more common than in the United States, where as on this side of the Atlantic you should expect a phone call or email to the referring party. The standard list of references is their names and contact info so the recruiter or hiring manager can reach out to them. If someone takes the time to write a reference letter for you that is beyond the call of duty and you can apply it at your discretion. It’s not going to hurt you in any way to use that, but it would be a little bit out of the ordinary. You may consider the language, “Reference Letter Available Upon Request,” and go from there.

Bonus Career Insider Tip: Reference check calls are typically very straightforward and usually just a few minutes.


Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.