Working in central government
The public sector is often accused of being too political. Surprising then, that the central government area of the public sector seems to be the least 'political' of all of them - especially in terms of information technology and decision-making structure. Fiercely determined to protect its impartiality, the civil service covers a wide range of duties including the overseeing of many reports on the various government departments and their subsidiary agencies.
Commercial experience is a must for a majority of positions within central government, and up-to-date systems methods have made it more interchangeable with commerce. Unlike other areas of the public sector, there has always been a steady stream of movement between government departments and private industry as people reach different stages in their career, but this will only increase as the two increasingly share similar elements.
If you work within the public sector, there's often the feeling that you're doing a 'socially responsible' job because you are spending public money in hopefully the best way possible, and this applies to government too. The commercial attitude of government bodies is very customer-focused; with all the public scrutiny, it has to be. Public sector organisations are accountable, therefore individuals are accountable for their actions, and it's quite a challenge to get used to the ways in which politicians think and work.
If you fancy doing your bit to ensure that taxpayers' money is used in the most sensible way possible, or even if you simply want to work in a varied and challenging environment, then central government is well worth considering. And if that doesn't tempt you, then the fact that it's basically 'recession proof' - with great benefits and even better career options - might just do the trick.
