<p>My dad has brought my siblings and I to hate the private sector, and love government job for their security and other bonuses. I was wondering if the government employs electrical engineers (I will be majoring in EE) and to what magnitude.</p>
<p>I'm not quite sure how to phrase my real question, so I will just ask what the private sector has to offer that the government does not, and vice versa.</p>
<p>your dad sounds like a ridiculously weird man</p>
<p>haha thats quite funny</p>
<p>the govt employs people from pretty much every discipline</p>
<p>Plenty.</p>
<p>NSA/CIA/FBI hire EE’s all day.</p>
<p>Private sector is not bad when you are contracting for the government. Actually it’s kinda cool, you get near gov’t job security and bring in a much higher income…although you don’t get the pension.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how to enliven the link but this site starts to answer your question. I’m a retired federal worker, and believe that there are jobs in the gov’t that you won’t find elsewhere, and there are lots of advantages to working there as you mention. I will be thrilled if my D gets a federal job!</p>
<p>[Engineering</a> Jobs in the Federal Government](<a href=“http://www.makingthedifference.org/federalcareers/engineering.shtml]Engineering”>http://www.makingthedifference.org/federalcareers/engineering.shtml)</p>
<p>Aw come on guys. You have to understand something. My dad immigrated here from Haiti in his early/mid twenties after graduating from high school (they have about 16 grades before college) and worked in various jobs in the private sector which gave him reason to hate it with passion. I’m sure had he stayed where he was and moved up, he might have liked it, but now he’s a supervisor in education, loving his government funded pensions and benefits.</p>
<p>Anyways…forgive me for being naive, but I know close to nothing when it comes to pensions and all I know about 401ks and such is that it is a type of pension. Aren’t pensions one of those things that you REALLY want your employer to provide?</p>
<p>Feed me knowledge!</p>
<p>Haha my dad’s told me some funny stories about government “engineers” he’s worked with. From what I understand, it’s mainly two different styles. One is about results and the other is just about getting through the day. I’m generalizing here, I know some government jobs are very important, but in general this is what I hear. After talking to some engineers, it seems like people seem to be more satisfied in the private industry.</p>
<p>Let’s put it this way: do you want to rely solely on Social Security when you retire? If you answered yes, then pensions are irrelevant.</p>
<p>Pensions are pretty much extinct except for a few private sector companies and the government. Besides, you would have to stay at the same company FOREVER for a pension. To stay at a company so long nowadays is becoming rare.</p>
<p>Many electric companies are owned by the local city/state/municipality, so those are a source of government jobs for EEs if you decide to go the power systems route.</p>
<p>^
I was actually hoping not to go the power systems route. I rather go into something more modern-technology based.</p>
<p>So what do people do? Just save now and rely on SS to pay their costs when their older?</p>
<p>And could you give me some examples of what an engineer that works for the government does outside of power systems?</p>
<p>the government is not involved with modern technology</p>
<p>^ That’s what I figured from the start.</p>
<p>Random Question since I rather not take up another thread spot:
Just correct me if I’m wrong in my generalizations. </p>
<p>Computer Science = Programming
Computer Engineering = Computer Hadrware
Electrical Engineering = Uhm, how to describe? Electrical hardware? (FAIL)</p>
<p>“So what do people do? Just save now and rely on SS to pay their costs when their older?”</p>
<p>I wouldn’t rely on Social Security. It probably won’t be there when we’re all ready to retire. Contribute to a 401k, IRA, Roth IRA, or all of the above.</p>