The transition from the Private Sector to the Public Sector - a Canadian perspective

28 January 2010 by Doug Tetzner

The transition into an executive role in the (Federal) Public Service from the Private Sector is not easy. The statistics are not encouraging. It is a move that few have made and fewer still have sustained long term. Generally accepted estimates suggest that only five to seven percent of the executives (EX level) currently working in the Public Service came from outside of the Federal Government.  By one account, 25% to 40% of the individuals that have made the transition depart within the first two years on the job.

Why are so few private sector executives making the transition? What is required for them to make the leap?  Is it truly fraught with risks and challenges?  “It’s irrational, but many executives in the Private Sector do not see the Public Service as a potential career opportunity”, one of the participants of our study remarked.  Not helping the situation is the general public’s ill-informed perception of “government work” as slow and unrewarding. Those who work at the executive level know that this stigma is completely undeserved.  In fact, our experience has been that executives in the Public Service are dedicated, passionate, intelligent and incredibly hard-working individuals who love their jobs.

A full version of this article was published in the Financial Post in Canada on 27 January 2010.

http://www.financialpost.com/careers/story.html?id=2489981