Whether inspired or repelled by their idiosyncrasies, no two sectors have inspired greater professional divide than the public and private sectors. Now, thanks to the recession, more marketers than ever from a private sector background are considering a move to the public sector.
Jaded by redundancies, volatility and uncertainty, job seekers are turning to the public sector for its perceived safety and work life balance. With budgets set a year in advance rather than being performance-based like for the FTSE set, the sector also offers marketing and communications professionals greater predictability.
Interim professionals especially are reaping the rewards of widening their job search criteria
Temporary, contract and interim professionals especially are reaping the rewards of widening their job search criteria. While 12 months ago around half only were keen to consider public sector roles, this number has shot up to nearer 70%.
The flipside reveals that nearly a third of private sector marketers still won’t consider a career move to the public sector. Talking to industry professionals it’s clear that a stigma about working in the public sector persists, with many afraid they will find it harder to transfer back over later in their careers.
For those looking to make the jump across, central and local government organisations are hungry for marketing and communications specialists. Proven specialist experience such as reaching vulnerable audiences through social media and handling crisis situations provide a useful springboard into the sector. Generalists will find the competition tougher.
One Comment
Just because 70% of people might consider working in the public sector doesn’t mean they’ll be able to. Most public sector jobs still demand experience working for local or central government or NHS, so professionals from the public sector don’t get a look in from the start. And when budget cuts kick in in twelve months time there will be fewer jobs anyway.