Why Work for the Government?

Why would you want to be a Public Servant and work for the Government? Should you work for the Local, State or Federal Government?  

The answer to these questions really depends on who you are, and what you want from your career.

The Public Sector offers a wide variety of work, with almost every occupation represented by, or within a government department.  From the obvious, like doctors, teachers and town planners to drivers, purchasing officers and weapons specialists, whatever career path you want to take, the Public Sector will most likely have something for you.

There are a number of benefits when working in the public sector (a government funded organisation), as opposed to the private sector (a privately funded organisation).  One of the most obvious is the stability and security of your employment and the public sector conditions of service, which are usually very generous.  They vary from organisation to organisation, but can include things such as flex time (or time off in lieu), options to work from home, assistance paying for education, study leave, additional free leave over Christmas, salary packaging, paid maternity leave, family friendly policies, clearly defined pay rise scales, solid performance management systems, generous annual and sick leave provisions, excellent superannuation programs, the possibility of overtime payments, flexible working hours, and significantly shorter working hours than the private sector.  Depending upon the organisation, working hours generally vary between 36 to 37.5 hours per week.  These conditions usually start disappearing the higher you go up the ladder, however as a general guide, they will always be better than private sector conditions.  Rates of pay are generally higher than equivalent positions in the private sector with the exception of executive management levels whose remuneration is often lower than their private sector counterparts.

If you’re looking for career diversity, the public sector offers opportunities for secondment, project work and involvement in working parties, taskforces and multidisciplinary teams.  Moving between agencies does not necessarily mean changing employers, so your conditions of service remain intact (ie you take your leave etc with you).  Be aware that this is only true of moves between the same level of government (e.g. commonwealth agency to commonwealth agency or state department to state department).

Government departments often have well developed graduate schemes, and prospects for advancement have never been better. With large numbers of people at middle and senior levels reaching retirement age over the next 5-10 years, there will be many opportunities for those with career aspirations and talent to move up the chain.

To some, the most important reason for working for the government is that you are helping to improve the health of the country and its people.  You are literally a “public servant” – a servant of the public.  Making a difference to the community in this way is often more rewarding than working for a company which often has making profit for shareholders as its primary motivation.