Moving From A Public To A Private Sector Job

It seems that the government is hoping that many of those being made redundant from the public sector will find new jobs in the private sector. That may be so. But nobody has focused on the problems that public sector employees will face when applying for private sector jobs, particularly if they have never worked for a commercial company before.

The key difference between public and private sector recruitment processes is that the former is much more transparent. Every job is supposed to be advertised and generally the only way to apply is by filling in an application form. The private sector by contrast relies much more on word of mouth techniques, networking accounts for well over half the jobs awarded by commercial companies.

Also of course the cultures are very different. Expectations in a profit-driven environment are very different from those in a service-focused regime. Applications to private sector companies may well need to stress a very different proposition to those directed at public sector bodies.

It would be useful, I think for those being made redundant from the public sector to receive some sort of induction into private sector recruitment processes. It is just one of the many reasons why ex-public sector employees need to be offered a top quality outplacement service.