Why is a government job better than a private job?

He was fired from his job as a contractor for under-performance.

He hated his boss, and liked the work he did, so decided to apply for a government job.

His friends laughed at him: "A government job? Quit dreaming!"

But things changed after due course of time, and now it's been three years since he joined.

Today he is happier than ever before. His smile reveals that mind set has completely changed after changing jobs. He says to himself: "I'm glad I left that company."

What happened to make his life better? Why is a government job better than a private job? What has made him change his perception about private sector? Let's find out.

The Job Environment

Firstly, the job environment in government sector is better than private sector. Job satisfaction comes from one's work environment and *not* money, as people tend to think. The reason behind this can be explained by Maslow's hierarchy of needs (a psychological theory that states that people are motivated to achieve certain goals) where people working or making living for themselves seek first job satisfaction followed by other factors like promotion, growth etc. until they reach the summit of the pyramid which is self-actualization (reaching one's full potential). Job satisfaction creates positive energy within an individual hence leading him/her towards success eventually because it improves mental health & physical well-being.

Job Satisfaction

If achieved through one's work environment, leads to overall development of an individual. Job satisfaction can be achieved by creating positive Job Environment which includes Job Content (what the job requires), Job Relationship (working relationship with other colleagues and seniors) & Job Conditions (how well you are treated within the organization).

As far as government jobs are concerned, these factors exist in abundance since *before* applying for a post one is told about it; even before handing over resume. What attracts people to take up government jobs? Is it because of their financial stability or specialty? According to me it is none of these things. Rather I would say that government jobs are good because they leave good impression on other private employers during interviews compared to private sector jobs. Government jobs provide Job Content, Job Relationship and Job Conditions as per Job Description which private jobs do not always deliver on.

In A Government Job

everybody works towards the same goal - to make country progress; this provides Job Content (people can understand their role better), Job Relationship (cooperation between people is strong) & Job Conditions (good working conditions). These things are absent in private sector where workers daydream about what will be after they leave their office which creates stress. Not only you but your colleagues too will like you since cooperation leads to social support (Batson et al., 1981). It's true that salary is higher in private sectors but there are other factors affecting Job Environment which cannot be ignored; plus it not always about money. Job satisfaction is one of these factors and Job Conditions (management) & Job Relationship (colleagues) are responsible for it.

In Private Sector

Job Content may vary from person to person based on his/her skills whereas in government jobs Job Content is made available beforehand so there's no room for disagreements over who does what task hence less time wastage in conflict management.

The Job Reward System

Another important thing that attracts people towards a job is Job Reward System which includes salary, fringe benefits etc. In a private job, all employees expect a raise in their next promotion while it hardly happens in government jobs. There are many reasons behind this: Firstly, most of the posts within government organizations have a fixed ceiling. Secondly, government spending has its limits plus private sector spends even more than the government does. Thirdly, Job Reward System is not so important for any employee as Job Satisfaction because people usually don't work hard to earn money; they do it mainly to satisfy themselves (an inherent need within everyone). Job Content and Job Relationship mentioned above automatically determine Job Rewards which lead to Job Satisfaction.

There are other reasons why a government job is better than a private one: 1) Job Environment is positive mostly due to cooperation & trust among workers 2) There's less chance of getting laid off as compared to private sector unless there's political interference.

So what will you choose? A fear-liked, stressful and self-imprisoned private job or a strong, supportive & satisfied Job Environment in government job?

And you have to look at many other factors before making this choice. Job satisfaction is just one of the factors which attracts people towards Job Content, Job Relationship and Job Conditions. [Article End]

I've had some experience applying for public sector jobs while my father has applied for hundreds of them during his career. I've taken help from him along with some research on the internet to write this article on "Why is a government job better than a private job?" so that others may find it helpful too. Download Job Descriptions to get an idea about what would be your Job Content if you apply for a position within any organization whether it's public sector or private. Job Descriptions are Job Requirements (skills), Job Content, Job Relationship & Job Conditions which may be provided in the form of Job Advertisements.