When you think about government, what pops into your head? For many, images of the President of the United States, Capitol Hill, and the Lincoln Memorial may come to mind. Those are indelible images of American government, but they do not wholly represent the day-to-day functions of how the business of the People gets done. For the typical government employee, more common images would be the inside of a cubicle, the back of a garbage truck, or the county jail.
Some jobs lend themselves to government work: police officers, firefighters, social workers, and the like. Others, such as accountants, computer programmers, and human resource specialists, exist in both the private and public sectors. So, how do you choose whether to work in the private or public sector? Like any decision, there are positives and negatives to consider.