Public vs Private sector

[Cowboy Brian]

If you were starting your career which would you choose?

Public is more secure while private has more upward mobility.

 

[gambit187]

I'm 42, got out the Army in 95. I am a Buyer/Subcontract Administrator in the DC/MD area and I agree with you 100%.
In my opinion a lot of the people I run into that work for Government directly can be a little lazier and unmotivated then those that work in Private. I think a lot of people in Government (local/state) would get ate up in the Private sector.

 

[Future]

The public sector is so horribly inefficient its not even funny. Having said that, if I were married with kids, I might go public.

 

[TheDude]

INcredibly broad question....

narrow it down any? teacher vs mcdonald manager, Silicone valey vs social worker?



In general, Future has the best answer. Depends on what motivates you. If I was 18, I wouldn't look at public sector for anything. The inflated salaries and pensions and free health care are going to go bye bye at some point in the next 10 years. You don't really pick up as many transferrable skills in public sector.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Public isn't limited to gov't jobs per se..

I've got friends in education, one is an executive director. There's something appealing about being in a stable situation.

However, the money that's available to you in the private sector is what's always driven me. You have to work longer in the public sector to reach the kinda cash that's available to me in private sector.

It's all about your motivation. For some, money's not the driving factor. For others, it is.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

If you were starting your career which would you choose?

Public is more secure while private has more upward mobility.

public has a better pension

 

[TwoCentPlain]

I definitely recommend public. The best job I have ever had is my present job as an engineer with the DoD. Opportunity all over, pretty much automatic pay raises, lots of chances for promotions and travel including international, good people to work with, no cutthroat co-workers, easy to change locations and transfer, usually no penny pinching (not now though). Much more security with public. Private sector will lay you off in a heartbeat if the profit even looks like it might nosedive.

With public, you can do as much or as little as you want. Your choice.

 

[Future]

Public isn't limited to gov't jobs per se..

I've got friends in education, one is an executive director. There's something appealing about being in a stable situation.

Are you saying that private schools are still in the public sector?

 

[WoodysGirl]

Are you saying that private schools are still in the public sector?

My friend works for a state university...and is ED for a Division.

 

[burmafrd]

fact is that it is true that public pension plans- even at the federal level- are going to get cut back. Probably benefits as well. BUT right now you have much greater security in say a federal job; better benefits usually by a huge margin; and as was pointed out regular pay raises (the current freeze on that will end in a year or two). And you get step increases despite the current pay raise freeze.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

fact is that it is true that public pension plans- even at the federal level- are going to get cut back. Probably benefits as well. BUT right now you have much greater security in say a federal job; better benefits usually by a huge margin; and as was pointed out regular pay raises (the current freeze on that will end in a year or two). And you get step increases despite the current pay raise freeze.

I do think that is the main argument for but I don't know if I see pension plans are going to get cut back much. I may be ignorant here but with the baby boomer generation retiring there will be much greater competition for top flight talent out of college... Even with the over saturation of people going to college very few are actually considered "top flight" talent. I'm talking about those at top 100 schools with a 3.75+ GPA in a useful major (engineering, accounting, economics). Now with 10% less people in the work force in 15 years the public sector will lose nearly all ability to draw in that talent. Private sector will have to increase pay to compensate for the competition to get this talent... I remember reading a PricewaterhouseCoopers hr executive talking about this exact scenario. I am transferring into a top 80 school, so maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but it surely seems to past the logic test. I tell my friends who are attending no name schools not to go. Anything ranked lower then 150 will not be worth the paper it's printed on, with some exceptions - such as CUNY Baruch which is 5.5k a year tuition and recruited heavily by investment banks and accounting firms.

 

[Smith22]

I've done both.

Worked over 10 years in the private sector, was a top producer, and got laid off due to outsourcing.

I'm federal now and feel 100 times more secure and I'm making more money and have better benefits.

Hands down federal for me.

 

[DFWJC]

I've done both.

Worked over 10 years in the private sector, was a top producer, and got laid off due to outsourcing.

I'm federal now and feel 100 times more secure and I'm making more money and have better benefits.

Hands down federal for me.

I'm writing you a check on ther 15th!

Seriously though, the public sector is an out of control train wreck for the nation fiscally, but for sure it's more secure.
By all accounts there are some public jobs where a person can almost beg to get fired and still not get let go. Try firing a NY teacher for poor performace. lol Impossible.

In your case, thank goodness, it sounds like there are at least some very high quality workers at the federal level as well.

 

[burmafrd]

I do think that is the main argument for but I don't know if I see pension plans are going to get cut back much. I may be ignorant here but with the baby boomer generation retiring there will be much greater competition for top flight talent out of college... Even with the over saturation of people going to college very few are actually considered "top flight" talent. I'm talking about those at top 100 schools with a 3.75+ GPA in a useful major (engineering, accounting, economics). Now with 10% less people in the work force in 15 years the public sector will lose nearly all ability to draw in that talent. Private sector will have to increase pay to compensate for the competition to get this talent... I remember reading a PricewaterhouseCoopers hr executive talking about this exact scenario. I am transferring into a top 80 school, so maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but it surely seems to past the logic test. I tell my friends who are attending no name schools not to go. Anything ranked lower then 150 will not be worth the paper it's printed on, with some exceptions - such as CUNY Baruch which is 5.5k a year tuition and recruited heavily by investment banks and accounting firms.

State and city workers are going to get hit first. Mainly because many of them have unsupportable pension plans. 20 years and you can retire on as much as 75% of your salary. No matter the age. That is truly unsupportable long run.

I am a federal worker- and under FERS about the best you can do is 35% of your salary after 35 years. Without the SS supplement I would not be able to retire. But after watching the carnage over the last 20 years or so in the private sector I am glad I am where I am.