3 reasons why you should apply for Civil Service Jobs.

There was a time when any right thinking smart employee would not even think of applying for a job in the government. However, all that has changed in the last ten years or so, and the government is increasingly looking as the better employer. In fact, with the coming of devolved governments, we think that more smart professionals will be applying for government and civil service jobs.

Here are five reasons why you should consider applying for a government, civil service, or a parastatal job.

1. The job is more secure.

Unless you’ve done a very gross mistake, it is hard to get fired in a government job. Even if you are fired, the process of firing is elaborate, and you will likely have gone through all the disciplinary channels. Now, picture

if you have a job in the private sector, where you could wake up one day and be told by the watchman to pack up, clear your desk, and hand over all the company assets, as you have just been fired.

2. There is less stress in the job.

Unless you work in a really crucial place such as a hospital, most government jobs give a timely leave allowance, and other emergency leaves. Few employers will ever give as much leave as one would like. Even a normal working day for a private company usually doesn’t end at 5 PM, as per the job description, if and when there is extra work to be done, you can be sure to be called upon to help. Sometimes the extra hours will be included in overtime, other times, it will viewed as an extension of the normal working hours, and therefore, your duty as an employee.

3. Bank loans are easily accessible.

Banks typically give civil servants first priority when accessing loans. Teachers, military personnel, and other civil service workers can get a loan in 24 hours if they so want. If you are development conscious or business savvy, then you could easily get a loan to do your other side projects.

Of course, even as you consider taking up a job in the civil service, there will be many drawbacks.  For example, one of the draw backs of getting a job in the civil service is that when you apply for a job in the private sector, an employer could view you as ‘lazy’, and may deny you the job. So, some smart professionals start with a job in the private sector and then change to civil service in mid career.

Also, promotion in the government jobs depends on how long you have served in a particular post, and not usually according to talent. So, if you exceptionally talented, you will still not be guaranteed of promotions. Typically also, many civil service jobs pay much lower salaries compared to leading private companies.

We think that if you are fairly talented, and the salary offered is comparable to the private sector, and the terms of promotion are clearly spelt out, then you should consider taking a job in the civil service or in a parastatal, you just never know.

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