As the name suggests, public service encompasses all services offered by a municipality, state or nation and funded in part or in whole by taxpayer dollars. That includes everything from firefighting, police and ambulances to the military, education, social work and food safety regulations. It also includes nonprofits that serve a specific purpose, such as connecting homeless Veterans to housing or providing mental healthcare for children.
Government workers may not get the attention they deserve, but they do valuable work that matters. In fact, a recent survey found that Americans overall are quite satisfied with the performance of government agencies when it comes to responding to natural disasters, setting workplace standards, fighting against terrorism and maintaining food and medicine safety.
In addition to the satisfaction of serving the people of a community, working in public service offers professionals a sense of personal fulfillment. That’s especially true for those who choose to pursue a career in the sector, which often involves taking and passing civil service examinations (which are specific to individual jobs or classes of jobs) before getting hired. It can take time, especially when a position requires an invasive background or security clearance check.
Whether it’s through a viral social media post, hit television show or even a simple kind word, recognizing the value of government workers can go a long way — not just in making them feel valued but helping to ensure that the work they do actually does make a difference in society.
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