Financial Stability: From Surviving to Thriving

I get it. Working for the government -- any government -- has a stigma to it. Government work comes with a lot of negative preconceived ideas often not based in fact. Regardless, a lot of people see working for the government as a career fail, the place to land when you couldn't land where you really wanted to be.

I think working for the government can be a means to an end: Financial stability. What do I mean by "financial stability"?

• Job security - your employer is not going to fold anytime soon and you are not an at-will employee

• Regular hours with paid holidays and paid leave - so you can plan your life

• Regular raises - so you can plan your financial future

• Generous benefits - so you won't be bankrupted by a healthcare crisis

Where there is no financial stability, there is stress. If you are worried about whether your employer is going to stay in business, whether you will keep your job, or whether you can take time off for a sick child without losing pay, you are carrying stress. You are not thriving. You are surviving.

One of the reasons I push California State civil service jobs is because they are a means to financial stability. Financial stability allows you to eliminate the stress of being in survival mode and plan what you want your life to look like, even if it doesn't include working for the State of California long term. Financial stability is like a pressure release valve: When you don't have to worry about how much and when you'll be paid, if you can take sick leave, and you know when you will receive raises, you can channel that stress energy into life planning energy.

From surviving to thriving -- that's why I push California State civil service jobs.