The choices we make define our future one way or the other. That's why its imperative for job seekers to understand that the desperation to get a job should be balanced with a careful understanding of some basics. Our Economy is a mixed one: you either get employed by the private or public sector. Each of them have their pros and cons which should be considered carefully in line with your long term vision before making a choice (if one happen to exist). The pros of government job happens to be the cons of private ones and vice versa.

These are the observed merits and demerits of Government jobs have observed:

PROS OF GOVERNMENT JOBS

The best aspects of a government job include:

STABILITY: Unlike the private sector where
companies can go out of business, the
government never goes out of business.
Agencies or offices may close or morph into
new forms, but there will always be
government jobs. Employees will always be
needed to complete the tasks only
government does, and additional employees
will always be needed to support them.
Moreover, incessant laying off of workers is
less prevalent in government jobs than private ones.

FLEXIBILITY: In the vast majority of positions,
workers can easily maintain a healthy work-
life balance. Additionally, telecommuting
and alternative work schedules are common
in government agencies. For jobs that
require employees to conduct much of their
business away from the office, government
organizations have begun providing
equipment to facilitate a mobile workforce.

BENEFITS: Government benefits almost
always exceed private sector benefits
packages. Employees often have superior
health care plans with lower cost and
favorable retirement plans. In prolonged
recessions, government and private sector
benefit packages both get worse. Still,
government benefits remain better.

TIME OFF. Leave time accruals are
generous, and managers tend to be
permissive in approving vacation time.
Federal holidays are observed. State and
local governments sometimes have their
own additional holidays.

CONS OF GOVERNMENT JOB

The worst aspects of a government job include:

SLOW SALARY GROWTH: Cost-of-living
adjustments authorized for government
employees rarely keep up with inflation, and
merit raises are given to only a small
percentage of top performers. For big salary
increases, government employees have to
compete for vacant positions with higher
salaries.

CAPPED EARNING POTENTIAL: Government
executives are often paid less than their
private sector counterparts. To hit the big
paydays, high level government employees
jump to the private sector.

LOW LEVELS OF CONTROL: Bureaucracy
doesn’t only frustrate citizens. It also
plagues government employees wanting to
get things done quickly. Expect all major
and many minor decisions to go through
some sort of formal approval process.

LAZY CO-WORKERS: Adages about lazy
government workers exist for a reason.
Some government employees just do what
is asked of them and no more, but there are
far more employees who are driven to
achieve more than just the bare minimum.
Unfortunately, poor performers are rarely
coached to better performance or fired for
cause.

No matter what you want to do, chances are you can do it for the government. You just need to make sure that you're willing to put up with the negative aspects in exchange for the positive ones.

However, if you happen to be lucky to be faced with a choice of choosing between a government job and a private one. I will advise you to consider the one with a better Job security, Flexibility and a fairly comfortable salary.

So let's assume you get a private job that will pay you 150k per month and a government job that offers to pay 110k monthly. The private job offers a better pay obviously but if it doesn't guarantee you of Job security and a flexible time table that can make you pursue other profitable endeavours unlike the government job, My advise is you choose the government job.

The secret of wealth is not necessarily a relatively better pay on the short term but the ability to diversify your sources of income using a steady stream of income.
However, regardless of the job you find yourself, never ignore this secret if you want to be wealthy in the long run.

I know plenty of people who work for the government and have gone 15+ months without a pay check. That's not job security that's volunteer charity work.

So it is better to remain a policeman earning less than 30k than davido's bouncer? I dnt think so.....forget pension.....most govt worker dnt live to collect theirs

Ben1975:
I know plenty of people who work for the government and have gone 15+ months without a page check. That's not job security that's volunteer charity work.

You don't make exception a rule. Yes, you right that happens atimes in public sector jobs, but you cannot say this doesn't happen in private jobs too. Be that as it may, I still prefer Government owing me money than working for a private individual that can fire me at whim without offering me any form of compensation or reasonable explanation.

prof1990:
So it is better to remain a policeman earning less than 30k than davido's bouncer? I dnt think so.....forget pension.....most govt worker dnt live to collect theirs

What will be the fate of davido's bouncer when davido's popularity/profit suddenly starts dwindling and davido decides to sack him and get a cheaper bouncer? (Knowing fully well that the 'bouncer' market is flooded with competitors).

Government job makes majority of the people to be lazy and lack ambition.

On point

One major advantage of govt job is the JOB SECURITY. There is union and you don't get fired anyhow. Also it in many cases afford you time to pursue other things. Unlike the private sector jobs. My friend who works in a Local govt was given 4yrs study leave with his salary guaranteed.

Bring the two jobs for me first, then we can talk about the challenges of each of them..

Interesting....That of the ''LAZY CO WORKER"is so true,I over experienced that during my NYSC year

Ben1975:
I know plenty of people who work for the government and have gone 15+ months without a page check. That's not job security that's volunteer charity work.

You mean paycheck.

Abeg give me the government job like that!

My cons for Government work is that It kills potential and creativity

Legalize it!!!!it's legal in some parts of the world!!!

You can become a millionaire overnight

There is nothing like been your own boss

spot on...

.a

My dad said he prays everyday that none of his children will work in a government establishment. If u are honest and hard working. Don't work for the Nigerian government. We had a bitter experience. Honest and good people don't go far.

Government work offer little challenge in most cases. You end up being a mediocre.

Issoki

OH........OK

good

OP, God bless u 4 this post. Presently, I am considering a switch from public to private. Though I am a little scared abt my move cos it's more like leaving certainty 4 uncertainty. "This is a very huge risk". When u consider the juicy salary u get from the private sector, hmmmmmn..., u gonna be tempted to quit.

Every man loves to fly when ur mates in the private sector are flying. PLS not that u are stationary with govt work,buh when u mates are flying, u are jogging.

The answer here is 4 pple in the public sector to get a good business plan n give it a trial cos u av what pple in the private sector don't av and wish they have "TIME".

Its a risk worth taking. With God on ur side, u can make it.

Think responsibly and channel your thought on how you can work for urself, pay urself monthly salary and probably pay urself to pension...think big and act bigger, pessimism ar for loosers

Government job all the way nothing like when you have your freedom, nobody can sack you unless they go tru the process, the growth is slow but permanent u can even venture into things and you continue to receive your salary. Chat all day on nairaland and nobody will deduct ur salary.

Jst here 2 read comments

Government job is da bomb No matter how busy the day is, you'll still have time to monitor your other businesses.

As Nigerians.

Land for sale

Ben1975:
I know plenty of people who work for the government and have gone 15+ months without a page check. That's not job security that's volunteer charity work.

Involuntary charity work you mean. They didn't know their pay was going to get delayed, did they?