Moving from the Private Sector to the Public Sector
Alan Warner
How easy is it to cross from private to public sector and vice versa?
Not as difficult as you may think. Public sector people do not have two heads and do not co-exist with the rest of society in a parallel universe. It is a short step from one sector to another in the world of work.
The trick is being able to fulfil the requirements of a person specification. These specifications will of course vary depending on the type and level of job. If a local authority wants a qualified social worker, it is likely that the successful candidate will be working or have worked in the public sector because there are not many private sector organisations employing such people. By the same token, up until recently the likely recruiting ground for councils with customer care/care centres was the private sector.
Other jobs functions, such as administrative, secretarial, accountancy and HR, can and do cross regularly back and forth across the divide, which is more like a trickling brook than the Grand Canyon.
The emphasis is on skills to do the job - if you do not have them you will not get the job. One of the main problems is that candidates do not realise that the experience they have gained in the private sector is transferable to the public sector. Someone who has worked in retail will hopefully have excellent interpersonal skills, be able to handle money, and problem solve. Such accomplishments could be relevant for untold other jobs so all potential candidates should be looking at what skills they actually have, rather than making assumptions about the employer's requirement for experience in their own particular sector.
There are differences as to why private and public sector organisations exist and how they are governed. When applying for a job it is helpful to understand these differences. It is surely not too much to ask that a candidate has some idea of the business you are in and, more importantly some empathy for it.
The information is readily available on council and government web sites, in libraries and various publications available from public buildings. The message is straight forward - if you are a vegetarian do not work in a butchers, if you do not believe in public education, social services, the various regulatory services, public accountability and the like, do not join the public sector.
If you are thinking of moving into a Public Sector role here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Be clear about what skills you have
- Look at person specifications and honestly test your experience against what skills are required
- Research the organisations you are interested in
- Be sure that you have empathy for the organisation you want to join
Search for Public Sector jobs or visit Monster's Local Governnment Forum
