Pros/Cons works for State US Government and Fortune 500 company

N2IT

First of thanks for reviewing my post.

In your opinion what's the pros and cons between these two? I have an opportunity to interview with the state in a similar role. I was just curious if there were any major differences, I am sure there are. I have worked for Federal Government in the past but never state. I have worked for two corporations in the past but never as a FTE always as a contractor.

So..... I was curious what the major differences are if you don't mind burning a few moment and replying. This is in the United States, just in case there were any questions about what country etc.

Thanks again.

the_Grinch

I've worked for the Federal government, private industry, and currently with the State. Given the choice to do it all over again I would go with the State. Federally you will make more money and depending on the agency you work for promotions may be easier then the State. But my pension is better with the State then it is with the Federal government. At my current agency it's almost impossible to move up in what the Federal government would call "grades". But compared with the private sector, I know exactly what my raise will be every year since I move up in steps. I think my only gripe is the pace of things at the State level. Everything is slow, requires several forms, and several layers of approval before you can do anything.

I have the pleasure of being a regulator though and it is one of the most interesting jobs I have ever had. It's nice to get that blend of technology, investigative function, legal interpation, and auditing. I also find that at the State level my expertise is taken more seriously then it was in the private sector. The State hired me for a certain expertise and they trust me to do the job, where it the private sector I was second guessed every step of the way. Also, given budget issues, the State is much more open to doing things with open source software. This proves to not only be beneficial for my agency, but also the industry that we serve.