Working for the Government is the preferred career choice of many. Government jobs are of different types; you can work for the Central or the State Government, you can work as a lower level clerk or a high level IAS/IPS/IFS officer.
Get an Overview of the Goverment Jobs in India.
Regardless of the kind of job you have, there are certain aspects that are common to most, if not all Government jobs. Find out what they are below.
What are the jobs really about?
Public Welfare
The main difference between working for the Government and working for any other organization is that the Government works for the welfare of the people whereas organizations work for profit. This difference in objective affects each and every job in the Government; every individual is expected to prioritize the welfare of the general public and do whatever is in the best interest of the nation subject to his/her authority.
Employees who work for the Government perform their duties on a daily basis so as to ensure the smooth functioning of the Government which eventually benefits the country and its people. This applies to each and every job in the Government, whether it is in the State Government or the Central, a lower level job or a high level administrative job, a technical job or a managerial job. In the Government, you can be working in almost every professional field, including health, engineering, administration, economy, research, defense etc.
Each employee is expected to contribute towards the welfare of the country by doing the job to the best of his/her abilities. For example, an IAS officer has to ensure that the plans of the Government are being implemented correctly, an office Clerk has to perform his/her daily operations so that the Government office he/she works in functions smoothly etc.
Find out about the Top 7 Fixed Hours Jobs.
Why do people work for the Government?
Job Security
Working for the Government offers an immense amount of job security as compared to all other industries. Employees of the Government are not dismissed irrespective of the economic climate of the country. Not only that, but the rules for dismissal on the basis of non – performance in Government jobs are much less stringent as compared to private sector jobs. The tremendous amount of job security that a Government job offers in the unstable economic environment of today is a strong motivating factor behind people wanting to work for the Government
Social Respect
Government Jobs generally tend to bring along with them a lot of social respect and admiration from the society. This is due to a variety of reasons including the fact that as a Government employee, you are serving the country, as well as due to the authority vested in you by the Government. People who work for the Government are generally respected in society and are seen as credible and honest individuals. As the process of getting a Government job is normally quite competitive, people who are recruited by the Government are also looked upon as intelligent and skilled individuals.
Keep in mind that the kind of admiration and respect you will receive from people will depend on your job. For example, an IAS officer will be highly respected whereas an office Clerk might not receive the same amount of respect.
Find out about the Top 7 Respected Careers.
Benefits
Government employees are entitled to a variety of benefits apart from their salary. This includes accommodation, travel expenses, health insurance, retirement benefits etc. These additional benefits turn out to be big monetary savings in the long run and are strong factors that convince a person to choose to work for the Government rather than any other organization.
Find out about the Top 7 Money Making Careers.
Serving the Country
Working for the Government involves serving the country and its people either directly or indirectly. For example, an IAS officer serves the country directly by making administrative decisions whereas an engineer serves the country indirectly by assisting in Government operations. People who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of the people often tend to decide to work for the Government so as to bring about the changes that they would like to see in the country.
What is it like to work for the Government?
Monotony and Lack of Ambition
Government jobs generally require employees to perform a set of repetitive tasks on a daily basis. There is very little scope for dynamism in the job and you do the same work in the same environment every day. This mostly leads to a monotonous atmosphere at work and also reduces the urge in employees to work hard and grow professionally as they become too comfortable in performing these repetitive tasks over a period of time.
Most Government employees face a situation where they get stuck in a cycle of doing the same work on a daily basis and lose the initiative to find ways to grow professionally. People who rise in the public sector are the ones who are always willing to take an initiative and who do not let the monotony of their work and the lack of ambition of their colleagues affect them.
No Authority and Slow Decision Making
People who work for the Government have to constantly deal with the lack of authority to take a decision and deal with the red – tapism involved in any communication process with their seniors or subordinates.
In a Government job, you can only take a decision that is strictly within your purview. In case you need to take a decision or implement a policy that concerns others in the Government (which is most often the case), then you will first need to contact those departments and seek their permission. What slows down the decision making process further is that the communication process within the Government is extremely tedious and requires one to adhere with a lot of formalities.
Only the people who can deal with the slow and tedious procedures of the Government and have the patience and perseverance to go ahead with their plans only after completing these procedures end up becoming successful in the public sector.
Slow Growth
As compared to most other industries, Government jobs offer a much slower rate of growth. In a job for a private firm, it is very possible that you get promoted within a year of working or rise considerably high within a few years. On the other hand, in a Government job, promotions and raises are awarded after fixed durations and the eligibility for promotions is not based on productivity but rather on experience. The longer you have worked for the Government, the more likely you are to be considered for a higher post.
Also, there are limitations to the level you can be promoted to, depending upon your current job. No such limitations exist in the private sector, and you can be promoted to any position as seen fit by the top management.
Salary Limitations
Working for the Government often involves salary limitations, i.e. there is limit to the maximum salary you can receive in your lifetime in a particular job. This primarily happens because the Government fixes the salaries based on the post and not on the skills of an individual, so as to maintain uniformity. For example, if you work in a particular department of the Government, the highest post will have a fixed salary. Once you are promoted to this highest post, you will receive the maximum salary you can possible receive in this job, until and unless you are transferred to a different service. No such limitation exists in the private sector, and you will be paid as per the market value of your skills and knowledge.
