Why civil service is a hot career path

In a survey conducted by JobStreet.com, a whopping 80% of Filipino employees have a positive outlook on working for the government. This means that for every 10 people, 8 would consider a job in civil service. Who would have thought about that, when all this time, people have this perception of government jobs as low paying and lacking in benefits compared to work offered by the private sector?

In the end, it all comes down to these three factors:

1. Private sector employees cite job security as their prime consideration in a government job

When you are employed with the government, you are 99.9% you will have a job until you want to work. The government is the government after all "“ it will not close, it is not subject to economic downturns, it is subject to freeze hiring but never downsizing. So, as long as you are a career service officer, you are set in your career.  Unless you believe in a dystopic world where anarchy will rule in the not-so-distant future, the government, and thus, government jobs, is here to stay.

It is curious to note that in this age where millennials compose a majority of the workforce, job stability and security are still held in a high premium. This may be because as much as Generation Y values freedom and flexibility, they still uphold familial obligations as well.

2. There is a great retirement plan

You might say that private sector employees also enjoy a stable retirement plan, thanks to SSS. But that is practically it "“ a private sector employee's retirement benefits aside from SSS would depend on his last employer and how long he or she stayed in that company.

Most companies do not even have retirement benefits for even their long-time employees. For the government, though, there is a retirement plan, plus additional details such as seconding your role to one of your dependents "“ meaning once you retire, your son or daughter can replace you. Not a lot of companies in the private sector offer that benefit.

3. Career growth is present

Career growth in the government is tied to the first reason. Not only because of the enormity of the government organization, but also because the credentials you may have earned from working in one department can be recognized by another.

This is because a lot of government certifications for employees are issued by only one organization: the Civil Service Commission. So, for example, if you are an employee of Bureau A and want to transfer to Department B because there are more opportunities there, then your certifications for trainings and position levels are acknowledged in any other agency because everything is standardized.  This is not guaranteed in the private sector. 

Have we encouraged you to further your interest in working for the government? Find out more here.

About JobStreet.com

JobStreet.com is a leading online job board presently covering the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. JobStreet.com currently services over 230,000 corporate hirers and over 15 million jobseekers in its database.

About SEEK Asia

JobStreet.com and jobsDB are part of SEEK Asia, which is the leading online employment market place in Asia. SEEK Asia covers 7 countries namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

SEEK Asia is the extension of the Australian Securities Exchange listed company called SEEK. The company's purpose is to help improve people's lives through a better career. SEEK Asia's database consist of over 500,000 corporate hirers and over 24 million candidates.