Working in Gov vs Private Sector

[CBartowski]

Hello Ficoers

I wanted to pose a question to everyone as I am currently weighing working in government or private sector related to cyber/technology, 31 years old. 

Curious of everyone's thoughts on each if folks have worked in both?

Thanks in advance!

[VanderSnoot]

Pick the better institution. Public/private really doesn't make a difference: there is a range of quality in the public sector just as there is a range of quality in the private sector. At the end of the day, you're best bet is to choose the more respected office, the higher quality colleagues, and the more challenging work environment.

[sccredit]

If I could go back in time I would have gone government. Job security, pension, etc. 

[coreysw12]

I have always worked private sector, but most people I know work in Gov't. Here's what I've learned about pros and cons of working in the private sector:

Pros:

• Career growth can potentially be much faster, and go much higher than at equivalent gov't careers.
• Pay and promotions are not usually structured/scheduled ("set in stone"), and are far more flexible, which could be a Pro or a Con, depending.
• Company policies are far more flexible than gov't agency policies, which are often set by statute/law.
• Your boss probably isn't a politician / appointed by a politician
• Flexible hiring standards. Many gov't jobs require certain degrees/certifications, and simply will not / cannot hire you without them. Many private sector workplaces will make exceptions. Almost any non-manual-labor government job requires a bachelor's degree or higher, and won't consider any applicants that don't have one.
• Can feel more rewarding than working for an agency that is getting funded (or defunded) regardless of how well they do.
• Coworkers often less lazy/complacent, partially for the first reason in the Cons list below

Cons:

• Less job security, easier to get fired
• Also listed as a Pro above, Pay and promotions are not usually structured/scheduled, so they could come less frequently.
• Benefits may be less (but depending on the company, might also be more)
• Harder to change workplaces if you don't like the one you're at (in gov't, often it's quite easy to switch to a different agency)
• Benefits are harder to transfer between jobs. Changing gov't agencies, you can often seemlessly retain/continue your same retirement benefits, healthcare, etc.

[tacpoly]

A friend's mom worked for a state government right after college, worked up to the highest grades, worked long enough to get the full pension, then quit and started working in industry making bank.  Best of both worlds.  I think 31 is still young enough to do something similar.

[CBartowski]

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@coreysw12 wrote:

I have always worked private sector, but most people I know work in Gov't. Here's what I've learned about pros and cons of working in the private sector:

Pros:

• Career growth can potentially be much faster, and go much higher than at equivalent gov't careers.
• Pay and promotions are not usually structured/scheduled ("set in stone"), and are far more flexible, which could be a Pro or a Con, depending.
• Company policies are far more flexible than gov't agency policies, which are often set by statute/law.
• Your boss probably isn't a politician / appointed by a politician
• Flexible hiring standards. Many gov't jobs require certain degrees/certifications, and simply will not / cannot hire you without them. Many private sector workplaces will make exceptions. Almost any non-manual-labor government job requires a bachelor's degree or higher, and won't consider any applicants that don't have one.
• Can feel more rewarding than working for an agency that is getting funded (or defunded) regardless of how well they do.
• Coworkers often less lazy/complacent, partially for the first reason in the Cons list below

Cons:

• Less job security, easier to get fired
• Also listed as a Pro above, Pay and promotions are not usually structured/scheduled, so they could come less frequently.
• Benefits may be less (but depending on the company, might also be more)
• Harder to change workplaces if you don't like the one you're at (in gov't, often it's quite easy to switch to a different agency)
• Benefits are harder to transfer between jobs. Changing gov't agencies, you can often seemlessly retain/continue your same retirement benefits, healthcare, etc.

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Solid breakdown, thanks Corey! I hadn't thought of it being easier to move around in the private sector but I think you're right. 

[CBartowski]

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@VanderSnoot wrote:

Pick the better institution. Public/private really doesn't make a difference: there is a range of quality in the public sector just as there is a range of quality in the private sector. At the end of the day, you're best bet is to choose the more respected office, the higher quality colleagues, and the more challenging work environment.

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This makes perfect sense, hard to tell these days. Thanks!

[iced]

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@CBartowski wrote:

Hello Ficoers

I wanted to pose a question to everyone as I am currently weighing working in government or private sector related to cyber/technology, 31 years old. 

Curious of everyone's thoughts on each if folks have worked in both?

Thanks in advance!

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First off, I'm also in cybersecurity/tech, though I've got 10 years on you so the landcape MAY have changed somewhat.

My time in public/gov sector: the pay absolutely sucks, but the benefits were competitive (and in one case better) that private. There's usually a lot fewer f*&ks given in gov/public so the environment itself felt a bit more lax to me than in the private sector. Things like career advancement have to follow a formulaic pattern or else they won't happen, and often advancement happens for the dumbest of reasons like years of service or some arbitrary classification rather than merit-based. Upward mobility meant being a people manager; technical leads were a square peg in a round hole and often outstanding technical talent would be relegated to people management because that was the only way to advance their career.

My time in private sector: the private sector can be very Grapes of Wrath-ish in that if it's an employer's market, they can pretty much get away with stripping most things away and offer crappy pay and no benefits. In an employee's market (which tech is), the opposite happens and I'm fortunate enough to be in such a position as to dictate my terms to employers and they have to take them; if they don't, another employer will offer them and poach me. In employee's market type fields, the pay, benefits, and work environment are going to be top-notch and public/gov sector will never compete.

In my experience, public/gov sector is like being a guest star on a TV show: you're either on your way up or your way down. The people there are either young and will be making bank in 5-10 years in the private sector or they're former private-sector people in their twilight years who are looking for a more casual environment to hang em up in 5 years in. There's also a lot of washouts who would never make it in private and become career gov because the standards there are low enough to allow them to coast through their careers.

[iced]

This will also probably be situational, but most public/gov sector now, at least in tech where I was, lean HEAVILY on hiring employees as unclassified. Reasons vary, but one common thread I encountered was this let them skirt the whole pension thing, so you'd just get a 403b instead.

[coldfusion]

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I'd agree with your premise regarding govt talent on the way up particularly with their ability to make bank when they jump to the private sector, we snag some of them when they make the jump.

I don't see those looking to kind of get out of the ratrace heading back into government positions as much as a  remaining in private industry but doing something like take on a figurehead CSO/CISO type position, sometimes with a fulltime team, sometimes with contracted cybersecurity services or a mix, or go work as a consultant and cherrypick projects.