Pros and Cons of Working in Government:

The Pros :

Great benefits and competitive pay

Average government salaries are competitive with the private and nonprofit sectors. Top candidates with work experience and strong academic backgrounds can quickly increase their pay.

Location, location, location

Wherever you want to call home, government jobs likely are available.

Jobs for every interest

Whatever your strengths and passions, there’s a government job for you. Whether your skills are accounting or engineering, or you have an interest in art history, zoology or something other field, you can find opportunities at a government agency with a mission that excites you.

Interesting and Challenging Work

Working in government is more interesting, challenging and groundbreaking than many people realize. You can do work similar what you might do in the private sector, only on a grander scale and with greater impact. Government employees develop vaccines for deadly diseases, fight sexual and racial discrimination, and navigate diplomatic challenges overseas.

Work-life balance

If you’re looking to have a life outside of work, the government job is an attractive employer. Flexible work schedules, including telework, are a major plus for people with busy schedules or long commutes.

Professional development and advancement opportunities

The government offers excellent training and development opportunities, and many agencies use individual development plans to help you plan your short- and long-term career goals so you can find the opportunities that align with your career goals and advance in your career.

The Cons :

Making a difference is a marathon, not a sprint

Creating lasting change takes time. While there may be no better place to give back to our country and the world than through government service, you may not see the immediate results of your work.

Rules and regulations do exist

Stereotypes paint our government as full of red tape, inefficiency and waste. Stereotypes have a grain of truth in them, but are usually overblown. Government is huge, and the complex system of rules and procedures for running agencies, employees and programs can be frustrating. But those constraints also save agencies from acting rashly or in haste when taxpayer money is at stake.

The hiring process

Often cited as the biggest turnoff for would-be government employees, the government hiring process takes longer than in any other sector. However, there is a concerted government-wide effort underway to fix the broken process.

You won’t get rich working in government

While many government salaries are comparable to those in the private sector, there is a pay ceiling for a range of government positions that leaves government employees with lower salaries than they might have gotten in the private sector.

Revolving door of leadership

Government work is not inherently political, but it is affected by politics. For example, there is always a revolving door of political appointees at the highest levels, most of whom have their own priorities.

More tips about government jobs:

As you’ll quickly learn, there are opportunities for people with all types of backgrounds and experience, from lawyers to supply management professionals to health care providers to museum personnel. All government agencies will have here their openings publicly. But some agencies prefer to post on their own sites, so be sure to check those, too.

Use your circle of friends, colleagues and former workmates to gain a competitive advantage in your search for a government job. Tools, like LinkedIn, can help you network with people and groups who work in or with the government.

Talk to friends who are government employees to learn about openings and to gain insights into the job application and interview process. Also check in with your college’s career services department to see if it has established relationships with any government agencies and recruiters. Many of them have.

The terminology used by the government in job descriptions can differ from what you’ll find in the nonprofit and private sectors. Agencies often talk in government-speak, a language all its own.

So be sure to analyze the keywords and phrases in government job postings, then incorporate them into your resumé.

If you are based in India, This website Sarkari Naukri is an excellent starting point to learn about job governement and the positions they need to fill. You can search the site by your location, the type of job you want, the department you’d like to work for or your skills.