How to Seamlessly Shift from a Government Job to the Private Sector

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As so many federal employees transition to jobs in the private sector, I can’t help but think of my mother. She was the most dedicated government | SUCCESS

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As so many federal employees transition to jobs in the private sector, I can’t help but think of my mother.

She was the most dedicated government employee I ever met (and I don’t say that lightly, because I know a lot of pretty incredible ones). She spent the first several years of her career trying to get a job as an environmental scientist within the government, and when she finally landed one, she stayed for years.

If you’d asked her back then whether she’d ever switch to the private sector, I’m positive she would have laughed. Sure, the pay wasn’t great and the constantly shifting politics were cumbersome, but ultimately, my mother was there because she had an unshakable desire to protect the environment and keep people safe.

Here’s the thing: she did leave. Under Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration, my mother faced a similar choice to the prosecutors for the Eric Adams case, and rather than complying, she resigned. Leaving wasn’t something she ever wanted—but she never regretted it.

Franchise owner Luke Cain also made the switch from government to private employee.

“The most challenging part of making the switch to the private sector was giving up the reliability and dependability that came with having a government job,” he says. “Federal positions typically pay well and come with reliable job security. Those benefits are not a guarantee when taking a job in the private sector, and things can change in a heartbeat.”

Whether you’ve left your role voluntarily or have been included in the recent firing and layoffs of federal workers, here are the seven biggest factors to keep in mind during your transition.

Most federal positions use USAjobs.gov for applications. The application process is a little complex, but it’s also consistent. Once you’ve applied to one job through the site, it’s fairly easy to know what to expect with your next application.

In the private sector, the requested materials and ways of applying vary dramatically from one application to the next. You might be applying on the company’s website, through a job site like Indeed or LinkedIn, or even just by reaching out to a recruiter.

“When you do work for the federal government, you’re given a number of paid days off… annual leave is what it’s called. You’re also given sick leave,” says employment attorney Jessica Childress. “You accrue that sick leave and you accrue that annual leave as a matter of course. That’s not always the case in the private sector.”

In the private sector, it’s more common for employees to have a single pool of paid time off (PTO) to use for any vacations, sick days and appointments. And while some states have specific requirements for companies to provide separate sick leave, most don’t. Because of this, you have to budget your paid time off carefully to ensure there’s always extra for emergencies.

Some companies may try to keep your PTO from being disturbed, but others may expect you to stay in touch when you’re out of the office. In addition, for many jobs in the private sector, the clock doesn’t necessarily stop at 5 p.m., so it’s a good idea to ask specific questions about work culture during the interview to get a sense of the expectations.

Unlike the government, where the pay range is posted in the job application and the perks are rigid, the private sector has much more flexibility when making a job offer. Everything from the salary to the benefits tends to be negotiable. The key is knowing when and how to ask. You might not be informed of the salary range in advance, which may make it more difficult to know what a fair wage is. Even if a company can’t swing a raise, you can request “free” perks like additional PTO, a hybrid schedule or a more desirable desk location.

While some people do network to get their government job, the process can be a lot more extensive in the private sector, which may feel a little intimidating. “Being creative and casting a wide net when applying for private sector jobs is important,” Childress notes. However, what most fail to realize is that their “network” extends well beyond former work colleagues. Alumni networks, professional groups and volunteer organizations are great places to find some less-expected connections that might lead to your dream job.

One of the biggest differences between a government job and a job in the private sector is the protections around how you can be fired. Every U.S. state except Montana considers the average employee to be “at will,” meaning an employee can be let go at any time without a reason or for any reason that isn’t illegal (such as something discriminatory or retaliatory).

This differs from most government protections, where workers can only be legally dismissed with a stated and documented cause. Employees who are still in their initial one to two years of probation upon starting have fewer of these protections, but firing them still requires cause.

For example, despite Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative firing thousands of probationary employees over the last month, U.S. District Judge William Alsup found that these firings were unlawful. “[Office of Personnel Management] does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire and fire employees at another agency,” Alsup said in a Feb. 27 ruling. On March 13, he ordered federal agencies to rehire thousands of probationary employees, while adding that any “reductions in force” need to follow proper government procedures.

Because of the sensitive nature of a lot of government jobs, many federal positions have policies around what you can and cannot do once you leave. According to Childress, a former federal government employee, most federal jobs will have some form of post-employment restrictions that are “ethical rules” that are “based on conflict of interest.” Within these restrictions, “you’re not allowed to engage in certain activities for certain periods of time, depending on what you did for the government.”

For example, “a former employee cannot knowingly disclose contract or bid or proposal information or source selection information to anyone not authorized to receive such information,” she says.

If you don’t have a copy of your agency’s post-employment restrictions, you can request one from your ethics officer or human resources department. Childress notes that your ethics officer should be able to answer any job-specific questions you have.

If you’ve already left your agency or lost access to internal resources, many of these agreements are also available publicly online, such as this one from the National Institute of Health.

Cain’s top piece of advice for anyone making the switch is to “trust in yourself” and to “remember the valuable lessons you’ve learned from your job within the government and apply them to your new opportunity.”

Remember, too, that leaving public service doesn’t have to be forever. As things change, there may come a day when you want to return to a government position.

My mother certainly did.

After a few years working at a private company, she had the opportunity to take her dream job with EPA, and she never looked back.

Whatever your next steps, remember that this isn’t the end, it’s just another chapter in your story.

Photo by Framalicious/Shutterstock.com

Anna Wenner is a writer who is just trying to live a life that will make her dog proud.

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