Jobs in the government work sector differ from the private or self-employment in many areas and can have advantages as well as disadvantages over those types of jobs. Most government jobs have a specific hiring process, which often takes a longer period of time when compared to jobs in the private sector.
Responsibilities
The job responsibility of an army officer is very different to that of a local government clerk. Various departments and job types such as homeland security, justice, treasury, agriculture, human resources, transportation, education and healthcare fall under the blanket cover of government work. The main job responsibility of a state employed teacher is to provide a good level education to the students, while a doctor working for a government owned hospital has the patient's fast recovery and good health as his topmost priority. All government jobs are responsible for contributing towards the overall growth of the state or country.
Requirements
The requirements for government jobs vary from position to position and the set of requirements are mentioned on the job listing when it is made public. These job listings are usually displayed on government websites or in the classifieds section of most newspapers. They also need to verify the identity of the applicant on the basis of his/her identity card, driver's license and social security number. Background checks as well as drug tests may also be conducted on a candidate as part of the hiring process. People with a history of criminal activities or records are barred from working in government agencies in some places.
Qualifications
A high school degree or diploma is the bare minimum requirement for any government job. Most government positions require the candidate to appear for various civil service examinations, which test the aptitude and overall capabilities of the person. These tests may also include topics related to computers as most government work is turning to electronic media instead of the age old paper work. After applying for a government job, it usually takes a long time for the application process to get underway.
Nature of Work
Every person working for the federal or local governments have a job of responsibility. Government jobs offer good benefits, but it is also easy and tempting for people to misuse these benefits for their own use. Those with desk jobs and accountancy related work may have access to sensitive data which must not be leaked out to the general public in order to preserve data security. Those working in defense services may have to stay away from their families for a long period of time. Bureaucratic positions within the government can be overly stressful for those who are not used to it. Overall, while government jobs have a number of benefits and good job security, they can also be mentally and physically demanding.
Work Environment
Most government employees' work in an office based environment and may also work in laboratories, military bases, sites of national importance, hospitals, or airports depending on their exact job type. While most of them work in a stationary position in their offices, some of them may also have to conduct occasional field visits and others may work full time on the field. Those working in an office environment are less susceptible to physical stress than those who work on the field.
Salary and Benefits
The salaries across the government work sector greatly vary from position to position. A top level bureaucrat may earn several times more than what an entry level intern in a local government office earns. However, most government jobs have a number of benefits and perks associated with them. Life and healthcare insurance plans, well chalked out retirement plans, salary incentives, student loans for children, flexible leave structure, subsidy on the purchase of certain goods, etc. are some of the additional benefits that most government employees have.
Government work has a number of benefits over jobs in the private sector. While the initial salary packages may not be as high as in a private company, the benefits and pride of being associated with a government job makes up for it.