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I don't think this problem of promotion is unique to government - this applies everywhere in modern sales and image-oriented business cultures rather than longe

I don't think this problem of promotion is unique to government - this applies everywhere in modern sales and image-oriented business cultures rather than longevity and loyalty. Maintenance hardly gets any innovation in general compared to new products and lines of business itself due to the obsession with growth in a lot of business (maintaining systems gets thrown to lower tiers of talent and under-funded once the parade is over - this applies across just software too). It's impossible for me to get the recognition compared to engineers pushing out flashy demos that attract new dollars but when I optimize infrastructure systems and systems to squeeze out 50%+ more transactions / second without paying more hardly anyone seems to care even in engineering.

technologia 8y ago
Not saying it's unique to government, I'm just saying this is the reality as well in government as it is in the private sector. The thing I'd like to point out is the morale issue and dwindling compensation for doing this work as opposed to walking out the door and going to the private sector is the crux of the promotion issue. I've worked in both the private sector & government and I've gotta say government work is a real shit show with the arcane rules and regs you have to follow to do the simplest of tasks. I'm going to stop short of going into a full rant, but I hope you see what I mean.
- devonkim 8y ago
  I’ve been a govie and contractor both and have done private sector work in companies of varying sizes, I get you. I was mostly speaking not necessarily to you but for others that may have certain perceptions of government work that are inaccurate or unfair comparisons. There’s plenty of inane rules in any large enterprise. The difference is that a truly inefficient large enterprise has a non-zero chance of winding down while government agencies themselves rarely start greenfield nor wind down (projects, of course, are stopped all the time).
  - technologia 8y ago
    Ah, a fellow masochist, I totally get what you mean; sorry if I seemed defensive/agitated.

technologia 8y ago

Not saying it's unique to government, I'm just saying this is the reality as well in government as it is in the private sector. The thing I'd like to point out is the morale issue and dwindling compensation for doing this work as opposed to walking out the door and going to the private sector is the crux of the promotion issue. I've worked in both the private sector & government and I've gotta say government work is a real shit show with the arcane rules and regs you have to follow to do the simplest of tasks. I'm going to stop short of going into a full rant, but I hope you see what I mean.

devonkim 8y ago
I’ve been a govie and contractor both and have done private sector work in companies of varying sizes, I get you. I was mostly speaking not necessarily to you but for others that may have certain perceptions of government work that are inaccurate or unfair comparisons. There’s plenty of inane rules in any large enterprise. The difference is that a truly inefficient large enterprise has a non-zero chance of winding down while government agencies themselves rarely start greenfield nor wind down (projects, of course, are stopped all the time).
- technologia 8y ago
  Ah, a fellow masochist, I totally get what you mean; sorry if I seemed defensive/agitated.