How secure is a government job? Better to ask whether security trumps satisfaction

Q: I am in my 40s, and I have 10-plus years of employment with the federal government and a family. Because of this, I need to stay with the federal government. I want to change my career field to one that is more in line with my capabilities. This might mean changing departments, agencies and maybe even branches. Should I take the risk of changing careers now and being the low man on the ladder without job security in a new position and with possible layoffs due to the economy, or stay where I am until the economy is better? Is working in the federal government secure enough to take the risk?

NICK'S REPLY: You are not asking for advice, but for a judgment call about the future. I don't know where the economy will be in a few years or what the risk would be in changing jobs now. But consider this: What is the risk of staying put until things improve? There is a risk in changing jobs and a risk in staying put. Only you can tally up the costs and benefits and make a choice.

I will point out something that you may not see from where you stand. It is not true that you need to stay with the federal government. Assuming you started working when you were about 20, then you have more than half your career ahead of you. Why do people get stuck on the idea that they must "stay until they retire"? I know people who have left government work and have never looked back.

There are no guaranteed jobs anywhere -- including in government. The point is not to merely survive in your career. It's to thrive, to accomplish things that make you proud, to wake up each day wanting to go to work.

If you are honestly interested in changing careers, you must explore all possibilities, not just those in government. It is simply not true that you must stay with the feds or that government work is safe. It's a big world out there.

THE HEADHUNTER TIP:

Be known first for the truth.

Career counselors will tell you to "sell yourself" in your next job interview. Is that what you do at work? Does an employer hire a salesman to do accounting or to manage a shop floor? Be careful in job interviews: Focus on the truth, not on selling (even if you're in sales).

An employer pays you to do a job and your first job is to tell the truth. You are closer to your work than your boss is. If something is askew, it's your job to lay it out in simple English. Your boss isn't in the mood for problems? Tough. She's not paying you to play to her moods. She's paying you to do the job. And that means helping her face reality when necessary. Be diplomatic, but be responsible.

Take that reputation into every job interview, and you will win only the right jobs.

Copyright 2009. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.