Whats it like working in IT Private Sector?

Since I never worked in IT Private Sector whats the environment like?

Here in the public my skills are developed slowly and career progression is slow as well but the hours benefits and managers rock as well as stability

The pay isn't that great and raises are kinda slow here

Anyone know hows life in the IT private sector?

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Comments

bpenn

I am also curious as I work in the DoD sector. Not much career progression here, either. I have to do it on my own. Raises suck, too.

Bchen2

Anyone?

TR4V1STY

That's a VERY broad question.

Codyy

Interested too, transitioning military focusing primarily on public sector positions, wonder if I'm missing anything by not looking at private sector positions..

cyberguypr

What an awful question. This is the equivalent of asking how good it is to marry a blonde. She could be:
- a perfect companion
- a crazy person
- focused on making you miserable
- willing to sacrifice her happiness for yours
- a good mother
- the worst mother
- a super sexy alien trying to abduct you and performs all kinds of probing to enhance their species

To sum up, it could be any number of things and although they may share characteristics, no two are alike.

Lenniusce

I'll take a stab at it since i've has 3 private sector jobs, 2 DoD jobs:

DoD Experiences:

Slower pace then Private
Technology is usually behind the times (Proxy server, really?)
"Good enough for the Government" type personalities (there is a GS sleeping in the cubical behind me as I speak)
Low raises since the contracts are bid aggressively
"Sr." doesn't translate in to anything "Sr." in the private industry
Generous time off
Generous "taking off early" policy ("Sure thing! Take off an hour early today and we will pay for for the full 8")
Usually some sort of PPP or Stock options with my contracting company.
Generous Certification reimbursement
Lower stress

Private:

More Cut-throat
Less time off
You will learn more within a shorter period of time. I went from helpdesk to SysAdmin/IT Manager-in-training within 2 years
High turnover
With a Private company's IT department expect to work at twice the speed of a DoD job. With an MSP? Expect triple the speed.
Less generous Cert reimbursement policy
Stressful
Sometimes you will be asked to do odd things in the name of "business needs". I was seriously asked to launch a "hacking attack" against a competitor company by one of my clients. Luckily since I was with an MSP they put the axe on this stupid idea.

Are any and all of these points good/bad? Decide yourself. Also, mandatory "this is only my experience" disclaimer.

Lenniusce

cyberguypr wrote: »

What an awful question. This is the equivalent of asking how good it is to marry a blonde. She could be:
- a perfect companion
- a crazy person
- focused on making you miserable
- willing to sacrifice her happiness for yours
- a good mother
- the worst mother
- a super sexy alien trying to abduct you and performs all kinds of probing to enhance their species

To sum up, it could be any number of things and although they may share characteristics, no two are alike.

It's not an awful question if you can draw general characteristics out of the two.

cyberguypr

The question was edited by te OP and now it makes sense.

goatama

cyberguypr wrote: »

The question was edited by te OP and now it makes sense.

Yes, it was edited. Three minutes after it was posted. Four hours *before* your reply.

cyberguypr

True. That's what I get for starting to reply, stopping to do some work, and completing the post later. I' promise to work less tomorrow and pay more attention to my replies.

Lenniusce

cyberguypr wrote: »

True. That's what I get for starting to reply, stopping to do some work, and completing the post later. I' promise to work less tomorrow and pay more attention to my replies.

Bu bu bu baaack pedal.

NOC-Ninja

I agree with everything Lenniusce said.

Here's what happened to me. My boss couldn't do anything since her bosses boss calls the shots in HR. I guess because of the pay that I am looking for. It needs to be approve by higher boss due to the range.

I went outside and look for an offer. I got a huge offer, showed it to my boss, my boss shows it to his boss and his boss shows it to his boss. I got a counter and now I'm happy.

So if you think your worth it, go out and find that offer. If not then you will wait forever. Either way, if they didn't counter then i would have move.

kiki162

Lenniusce is correct for the most part. This also depending on what agency you work for within the gov't and whether you are a gov't employee or contractor. The gov't as a whole is laid back, very slow paced type of environment, subject to tight budgets, and other BS. Private is strict, fast paced, pays higher, and most times has more benefits than the gov't would ever give you. You will have a pension as a gov't employee, so long as you put in your 30+ years, and so long as they don't change that (because they often do change benefits around).

The bottom line is that it all depends on you, what do you want to do at the end of the day, and where do you want to go?

If you like being a "drone" so to speak, have easy work, and ride out the next 30 years, then the gov't is great. I've seen a lot of transitioning military go from contractor gigs then right into a perm gov't spot, or within a few months get a gov't position, and some just can't seem to get in the front door (due to location and/or MOS).

If you want to do something a little more meaningful, and progress in your career, even though there's more risk, then private is the way to go. I've known a LOT of people that have work for the gov't in some capacity or another, and have gone on to other private/public sector jobs, and are a lot happier.