interview government canada

I receive many inquiries about what is it like to be a Policy Analyst at the Government of Canada.  I asked Jenny who is a Policy Analyst in the Economist (EC) category to answer some of your questions.

What is something that you would like to highlight about working with the Government of Canada?

A: I enjoy my job at the Government of Canada. However, I would like to clear a misconception that the public has about our jobs. We do not have “life-long employment” and our jobs are not easy. The cuts that have been outlined in Budget 2012 are a clear reminder that public servants do not have guaranteed jobs for lives.  Similar to the private sector, there are individuals who do not pull their weight. However, this is the exemption rather than the norm. I have worked in both the private and public sector and there are clear advantages and disadvantages to both.

What is the work environment like in the Government of Canada?

A: Generally speaking, I would say that the work is very collaborative in nature. Although I am required to write my own briefing materials, we usually split projects within the team as well as get input from outside parties.

Depending on the department and unit, there is no “typical” day to describe the work environment at the Government of Canada. I have worked in policy shops where everything is “urgent” while I have also worked in other shops where the thinking process and planning is for the medium to long term.


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