Not every Gen Z and millennial is in tech. At least, Michael, the subject of this story isn’t. As a civil servant, he is navigating life almost seamlessly and is not in a rush to meet up with the demands of thriving in a startup space. His superpower is probably living in a low-expense state and staying with his parents. But being in the civil service has its pros and cons, making this an interesting conversation, as I wanted to understand how young people thrive within government-owned organizations.
The civil service is not as fast-paced as startups, and the structures and benefits are quite different. So, what does it look like to be a Nigerian civil servant in your 20s? How is that experience distinct from the larger populace who are in tech companies or multinationals? Michael’s story gives a succinct answer to this.
What part of the civil service do you work at?
I work at the Internal Revenue Service of a state in the South-West, and my job function is tax auditing for individuals and organizations. My typical workday involves an everyday office routine; going out for audits and preparing reports.
Have you been in the private sector before this?
I haven’t worked in the private sector, I’ve been in the civil service since the start of my career. But I have friends and acquaintances who work in private firms, startups, and multinationals; apparently, their balling level is way above mine. But being in the civil service has its own perks sha.
So what are the perks of being in the civil service?
Well, the only perk here in the civil service is job security. You have thirty-five years of work or sixty years of retirement age and sit back to get your retirement benefits. Unlike startups and tech companies that are quite fluid in nature, being in the civil service gives you a level of job security. In fact, it’s a good time to make reference to what is going on at Twitter, Meta, and the rest of them; those massive layoffs cannot happen here in the civil service, except if there is a massive probe or the dwindling economy gets to an extreme. But it’s hard to witness random or massive layoffs in the civil service. Job security in the service even accounts for the low rate of resignations within the system. I’m not saying people do not resign, but you can’t compare it to what obtains in the private sector. That being said, there are still a lot of challenges.
What challenges?
It starts with getting into the civil service in the first place. Well, this may not be an issue because interview processes for private firms are also rigorous, but the civil service experience is a different ball game. Look at it this way, private firms receive tons of applications and only a few are called for interviews. Here, it’s possible for thousands to apply for jobs in civil service and almost everyone would be shortlisted to write exams and move to the interview stage, even though just a small fraction would eventually be employed. Job hunts are generally mentally challenging, but in this space, it’s mentally and physically draining. However, if you know someone who knows someone, just count yourself lucky. In fact, I remember something from years back…
I’m all ears
Many years back, an aunt of mine forgot a document she was supposed to take along for an interview at the teaching service, and I had to take it to her. When I got there, I couldn’t believe that the hundreds of people I met there all came for interviews. It was like the entire Nigeria was present that day, and at a point, there was chaos because people were struggling to be attended to and the sun was scorching. I told myself I would never have to go through such in my life, but it is what it is o. Lol. Thankfully, it wasn’t that bad when I had to go through the recruitment process.
I see.
So, what other challenges do you face on the job?
Then, there could be delays in payments as well. Luckily, payments come in timely at the Internal Revenue Service, unlike other departments in the civil service. And many of them are not treated with the respect they deserve if you ask me. On terrible occasions, when the payment is even ready, you might get just a percentage of your salary instead of everything. And because of the payment system, it’s easy to keep borrowing money, knowing fully well that when the payment comes, the creditors know how well to get their money. And then, there’s the delay in paying pension and other retirement benefits after all your years of service.
Being a millennial, how do you handle working in a sector with more older people than younger citizens are staff members?
The chairman recruited about 400 young graduates in my agency, so most of us in the internal revenue service where I work are around the same age which makes it easy for us to flow and get things done.
What’s the income like?
Civil servants in level 8 earn below 50,000, on average, and higher levels earn more. Like I said earlier, my agency gets paid on time, unlike other agencies where the government can owe salaries for months.
So, how do you navigate savings and building wealth?
Honestly, saving and building wealth from the salary system is tough. It would take someone who has side businesses to make enough to do all of that. Building wealth and avoiding sapa is impossible, except if you want to go through dubious means to get money. But if you are to live on your monthly salary, just get ready to rough it.
Any restrictions to expanding your income source?
I work at the head office and there are heavy restrictions on those of us there. I can’t run a side hustle to augment your monthly salary. Although some try to start something by the side, it’s never easy for them, and if we’re actually to go by the books, they could be queried. Plus, being here could be limiting. You don’t get to do anything outside of what you do at the office, and that’s not healthy. Civil servants have to take that personal conscious effort toward their career growth.
So what are you looking forward to in your career?
The civil service gives me that job security and that’s satisfying, but I am not content. I can make more, do more, and be more than this. But I am not in a rush. Currently, I live in a state where things aren’t so expensive, and I live in my parents’ house. When I get married, I’d move and start to make new expenses, but I hope to get something better by then. The job is tight, but a side hustle is still an option. However, very soon, I might start exploring other opportunities.
______________________________________________________________
In the end, being in the startup space might just be a better option, considering all the intricacies. Job security? Well, it’s also possible here, which is why CareerBuddy teams up with the best in the ecosystem to hire qualified candidates who go ahead to build steady careers and grow their wealth. We have job openings for you when you join our community here.