As a government IT employee, I agree with all points listed.
In particular, the most major issue for me on the positive side is stability, and the most negative issue is lack of growth.
I interviewed at Microsoft (as a courtesy to a friend who works there), and one of the interviewers was genuinely curious about life in the government. I told him that, barring severe budget issues or personal lawlessness, I could not be fired or demoted. But, I'm also at the top of my scale, which means I can't be promoted either. It doesn't matter much what I do (or don't), I can't go up, I can't go down. I'm just "here".
In some sense, that's supremely freeing. I can put in exactly as much effort as I feel comfortable with, learn new technologies and techniques right up until I don't feel like it anymore, and so on.
On the other hand, I'm kind of a lazy guy who works better when there is a boot up my rear. I know in the private sector I would learn a lot more, and grow professionally a lot more, because there is always that "up or out" mentality. You can't stagnate and survive in most businesses.
With more modern government employees, some of his advantages are lessened. For example, our retirement plan is a traditional defined contribution plan, which invests in a stock portfolio of our choosing. Likewise, our time off is two weeks per year plus federal holidays. Neither of these seems more "generous" than the average established private industry, although I don't have direct experience so I'm not sure. Startups of course I wouldn't expect retirement plans and more than the minimum time off.
Also the more money part would be nice, with the possibility of things like bonuses. For comparison, Microsoft offered me $110K/year base salary, presumably with the opportunity to earn a bonus on top of that. My current government position pays $84K/year fixed, no opportunity for bonus.
That's almost a 50% raise by making a lateral move into private industry, plus then there is further opportunity for advancement once there. (I didn't make the move because of the whole toxic environment/sinking ship, among other considerations.)
>Barring severe budget issues or personal lawlessness, I could not be fired or demoted. But, I'm also at the top of my scale, which means I can't be promoted either. It doesn't matter much what I do (or don't), I can't go up, I can't go down. I'm just "here".
>In some sense, that's supremely freeing. I can put in exactly as much effort as I feel comfortable with, learn new technologies and techniques right up until I don't feel like it anymore, and so on.
>On the other hand, I'm kind of a lazy guy who works better when there is a boot up my rear. I know in the private sector I would learn a lot more, and grow professionally a lot more, because there is always that "up or out" mentality.
Spot on. Personally, I have thought about this a lot and came to the conclusion that I would rather have the flexibility and breathing space to work on side projects rather than having a high pressure, long hours job be the only thing I can focus on.
I always laugh and think of this [1] when I read about government employees. I worked at a state university for 10 years, I am much happier in the private sector.
Your experience mirrors mine working at a DOE lab on the US side of a LHC dectector's data taking team.
Can't get fired, but no where to grow. Oh, and you worked your ass off? Here's a $500/raise for the year. My boss (who had worked at the lab his entire career) was verbally abusive to a female subordinate, and HR told me nothing could be done about that.
In particular, the most major issue for me on the positive side is stability, and the most negative issue is lack of growth.
I interviewed at Microsoft (as a courtesy to a friend who works there), and one of the interviewers was genuinely curious about life in the government. I told him that, barring severe budget issues or personal lawlessness, I could not be fired or demoted. But, I'm also at the top of my scale, which means I can't be promoted either. It doesn't matter much what I do (or don't), I can't go up, I can't go down. I'm just "here".
In some sense, that's supremely freeing. I can put in exactly as much effort as I feel comfortable with, learn new technologies and techniques right up until I don't feel like it anymore, and so on.
On the other hand, I'm kind of a lazy guy who works better when there is a boot up my rear. I know in the private sector I would learn a lot more, and grow professionally a lot more, because there is always that "up or out" mentality. You can't stagnate and survive in most businesses.
With more modern government employees, some of his advantages are lessened. For example, our retirement plan is a traditional defined contribution plan, which invests in a stock portfolio of our choosing. Likewise, our time off is two weeks per year plus federal holidays. Neither of these seems more "generous" than the average established private industry, although I don't have direct experience so I'm not sure. Startups of course I wouldn't expect retirement plans and more than the minimum time off.
Also the more money part would be nice, with the possibility of things like bonuses. For comparison, Microsoft offered me $110K/year base salary, presumably with the opportunity to earn a bonus on top of that. My current government position pays $84K/year fixed, no opportunity for bonus.
That's almost a 50% raise by making a lateral move into private industry, plus then there is further opportunity for advancement once there. (I didn't make the move because of the whole toxic environment/sinking ship, among other considerations.)