Public management principles and practices

Public Management and the Prospects of a Personal Career in Government

Public service may be a noble pursuit, but alas, the author of this essay is not suited for it. A career in government, although it may be theoretically altruistic in its benefits to others and the personal rewards it gives a government employee, also has many disadvantages for those whom pursue it as their main course of vocational existence. And many of these theoretical rewards, for both the employee and the worker, are in fact illusory

First of all, from a purely 'knowledge' point-of-view, government careers tend to pay less in real dollar amounts than careers in the private sector. They thus tend to attract less qualified people, in terms of education and accomplishments, to make an admittedly rough but fair statement. Government jobs also tend to select individuals based upon grades on civil service exams or, through grades via the 'Honors program' for interns, solely on applicant's previous academic records. Although this may seem to be an excellent option on the surface, this means government recruiters are relying more on empirical data than subjective factors such as creativity upon the part of the applicant. On a level of comprehension of how jobs are selected within the government, these policies and programs also highlight how protocol rather than innovation is at the core of many government jobs in management.

Of course, on a level of application, one might state that elected positions to governance are supremely unpredictable in nature, given the recent election in America -- witness how many different types of men and women are involved, on different levels, in the current campaign for president. Yet some of the most interesting and innovative politicians were first tested, such as Jonathan Edwards, by the demands of a profession such as the law that existed beyond the requirements and strictures of administrative governance. When conducting an analysis of a career in government vs. A career in private industry, one must reflect that a public official, elected or appointed, must always subject him or herself to the demands of the populace. These may be the demands his or her constituents, or merely the codes of law that he or she is sword to uphold as part of his or her public duties of office. The unique characteristics and ideas of the individual are subsumed and subjected to a larger whole or larger system. Although some people may find this noble, it can also be stultifying rather than invigorating, particularly someone just beginning in their career.

In contrast, private industry often places more competitive demands upon a potential employee. Private industry is inherently less stable for the employee in terms of job security, when contrasted with civil service positions, and does not necessarily provide the same benefits of health care or pensions. The requirements of the job may shift quickly, and cannot be defined along the narrow demands of pre-set duties. The demands of the marketplace are constant, and are not confined to two-year, four-year, or six-year increments, like even elected positions of congress and the executive branch. Rather, the economy of America is constantly in flux, and thus one's job security is similarly variable.