The Public Sector.

[Jiddy78]

You guys think I'm peeved about housing? Try this traveshamockery of justice.

Why is it that some joe blow that is carrying a ged is making as much money as a person with a degree is, plus BENEFITS....plus GUARANTEED pension...works much less hours....less risk...GUARANTEED pay increases each year...all at the hands of the private sector sucker.....

But is that enough? NOOOOOOOOOO....Fatty's got to claim workman's comp/disability the first chance he hurts is iddle thumb...Oh boo hoo...

My favorite was when that cop went on TV pissed off at many of his compatriots after Katrina...Cursing about how some cops up and ran from their duties at their time of biggest need...

Figures...In it for a paycheck, but when the going gets tough, walk out the door. They should be deported.

Another area where abuse is rampant.

I should just work for the government....Everybody else is jumping on and suckling the teet, especially now that their housing investments have gone belly up.

Rant over.

[Nixon's Head]

Working for the public sector has treated me well.

[LSU]

I plan on getting gainful employment with USDA if possible. Life of Reilly right there.

[Vegas]

I don't get why government workers need a union. The only area where union membership isn't shrinking is government workers where they get far better benefits than the private sector already.

[Vegas]

I plan on getting gainful employment with USDA if possible. Life of Reilly right there.

Are you being serious?

[LSU]

Are you being serious?



Is there a reason I should not?

USDA-ARS to be specific.

[Vegas]

Is there a reason I should not?

USDA-ARS to be specific.

I'm not saying there's a good or a bad reason. There's a tradeoff I looked at government engineering jobs years ago and decided to go for the bigger potential of the private sector over the security of the government jobs. I'm in a different field, so my reasoning may be completely different than yours. I've been happy with the decision.

[LSU]

I'm not saying there's a good or a bad reason. There's a tradeoff I looked at government engineering jobs years ago and decided to go for the bigger potential of the private sector over the security of the government jobs. I'm in a different field, so my reasoning may be completely different than yours. I've been happy with the decision.


Oh, I could make mega bucks going into private industry. People with masters degrees are getting 100k plus. But the tradeoff there is restrictions. You work for the company, not for science. Information isn't shared, results aren't reported (published), basically the antithesis of what I think science is there for...common knowledge

I'm not looking for big bucks. Just a job that I'm happy with doing research.

That's not to say I can't move up the ladder with the feds. Some of the upper level jobs there are 140-160k easy.

Or academia for that matter. We're hiring a few positions in our department right now and the starting pay is close to 100k at assistant professor level, I think.

[LSU]

Oh, I could make mega bucks going into private industry. People with masters degrees are getting 100k plus. But the tradeoff there is restrictions. You work for the company, not for science. Information isn't shared, results aren't reported (published), basically the antithesis of what I think science is there for...common knowledge

I'm not looking for big bucks. Just a job that I'm happy with doing research.

That's not to say I can't move up the ladder with the feds. Some of the upper level jobs there are 140-160k easy.

Or academia for that matter. We're hiring a few positions in our department right now and the starting pay is close to 100k at assistant professor level, I think.


The alternative to that is in private industry, there are no grant proposals to write...the money is there (as opposed to academia). For the feds, the money is there, too, but proposals are still needed, albeit on a smaller scale.

[Jiddy78]

I'm not saying there's a good or a bad reason. There's a tradeoff I looked at government engineering jobs years ago and decided to go for the bigger potential of the private sector over the security of the government jobs. I'm in a different field, so my reasoning may be completely different than yours. I've been happy with the decision.

I have struggled to maintain what is possible on the government level as far as compensation in the early stages of the career...Unless you have an entrepreneurial knowhow (Today's youth-30 somethings are barely worth two sh*ts in this regard) or have significant capital backing you (Daddy), it is very hard to get off the ground as an employee in the private sector...First, you have much less benefits...thus paying for one's own eye, dental and a good portion of insurance....On top of that, you have zilch for retirement matching IMO....Not guaranteed this...and guaranteed that....

If I was advising a young person out of college with significant debt and not being backed by Big Daddy Warbucks, someone like LSU, I'd say milk government 'til the nut is built so that you can do it on your own....Heck, though, they learn this themselves after a year or two when the jock dummy that skirted through college behind them is banking better than them in the public sector.

What a world we live in where the nerds lose and the jocks win.


Thank goodness for my charm, athletic ability and overwhelming good looks.

[Vegas]

The alternative to that is in private industry, there are no grant proposals to write...the money is there (as opposed to academia). For the feds, the money is there, too, but proposals are still needed, albeit on a smaller scale.

I would have a hard time working anywhere that didn't give stock options. I've taken lower salary for a job that included stock options where I can make a difference in the company's success.

[LSU]

One other thing, the transition from gov't/academics to the private industry is seamless. The reverse, however, is not true, mostly based on the publishing aspect. When you're in private industry, you can't share the work you've done, therefore, a university won't know whether you'll get funding or not for your work, and if you don't get funding, you're pretty useless to them. And generally moving from industry to gov't is a step down in money, so your lifestyle would need changing...

But I haven't graduate yet, and don't have any offers on the table, so it's hard to tell exactly what I'll do right now...

[Jiddy78]

BTW, the best private sector opportunity in my area in recent years? Homebuilders....They flocked like sheep to it, no doubt....Oops.

Most of them are hitching up and going to NC/GA/SC now...to milk that market for what it is worth...In a few years, return of the "oops"....


Possibly in other markets (of which none I've worked in) with a better private backing, I'm sure this isn't 100% solid gold....There are some good companies to work "for."

But I'm sure 100% that the path to wealth in private is working for yourself...Actually, having others work for you and collecting checks...:p Unfortunately, I don't have that mentality.....thus a slave to the grind I will always be...

[LSU]

I would have a hard time working anywhere that didn't give stock options. I've taken lower salary for a job that included stock options where I can make a difference in the company's success.


lots of pros/cons to both sides.

[LSU]

Ooh Ooh, one other advantage to gov't over academics and private industry...the time.

Government labs are pretty much open 8-5.

Academics more like 8-8

Private industry more like academics.


gotta have time for the little lady.

At least, that's what she tells me.

[Vegas]

Ooh Ooh, one other advantage to gov't over academics and private industry...the time.

Government labs are pretty much open 8-5.

Academics more like 8-8

Private industry more like academics.


gotta have time for the little lady.

At least, that's what she tells me.

My job now has pretty easy hours, but it's really the first time in all of my working years that it's been like this. When I worked in the fiberoptics business in the early days, it was a good 70-80 hours a week almost all of the time.

[LSU]

My job now has pretty easy hours, but it's really the first time in all of my working years that it's been like this. When I worked in the fiberoptics business in the early days, it was a good 70-80 hours a week almost all of the time.


Yeah. I don't want to be stuck at the job that much. It's not that I don't like the work or don't want to work hard, but it's that I don't like the work more than the fam.

Between graduate school and a probably post doctorate position, I'll miss out on enough.

[Vegas]

Yeah. I don't want to be stuck at the job that much. It's not that I don't like the work or don't want to work hard, but it's that I don't like the work more than the fam.

Between graduate school and a probably post doctorate position, I'll miss out on enough.

That's probably a great choice for most people. The divorce rate at that company was unreal. We had almost one divorce a week in a company of less than 200 people in the earlier days.

[Nixon's Head]

Ooh Ooh, one other advantage to gov't over academics and private industry...the time.

Government labs are pretty much open 8-5.

Academics more like 8-8

Private industry more like academics.


gotta have time for the little lady.

At least, that's what she tells me.One of the things I like about my job. 8-5 Monday through Friday. On occasion I have to work a couple hours early or a couple of hours late, but its nice knowing you'll be home at the same time everyday.