Working in federal, state, or local government has its own set of advantages and challenges. Similar positions in the public and private sectors may have similar job tasks, requirements, and qualifications, but benefits, salary, and job security often differ, sometimes more than you might realize. Job security and/or benefits can increase the practical value of a position even if its salary is lower than that of another position.

Usually employees in government positions have more job security because positions are seldom cut. Also, government jobs often have better benefits than those in the private sector. Depending on your field and specialization, salaries in the public sector can be, on average, higher or lower than those in the private sector.

Questions: If you have to take a civil service exam to qualify for a government position what would you do in advance to make sure the exam was accessible for you? When you hear of a job with benefits, what does that mean? If you had two job offers, one that included paid vacation, paid sick leave, health insurance, life insurance, and overtime pay, while the other had a higher salary but no benefits, which would you take and why?

Many articles provide a link at the end that you can use to contact the subject directly.