“Peace of mind > salary”: an engineer’s message on government jobs and stress in the private sector divides Internet users
An article by software engineer Shreya on X has sparked a heated debate on job security and work-life balance. In her post, Shreya revisits her father’s advice to pursue a career in civil service rather than engineering, expressing her desire for the stability and peace of mind that often comes with government jobs. She writes, “Some days I really feel like my father was right when he told me to prepare for IAS or IFS instead of engineering… No layoffs. No ‘reorganization’ mail at 11 p.m. No fear of waking up without a job.”
Shreya goes on to suggest that although government jobs don’t offer huge salaries, they offer peace of mind and a stable future. “Maybe peace of mind > salary after all,” she concludes, defending her position by specifying that she does not tolerate corruption. “Not all government employees are corrupt,” she says, adding a nuanced perspective on this oft-criticized sector.
The message resonated with many people, triggering a wave of reactions, some in agreement, others providing counterpoints.
One speaker, with experience in public service, offers a stark contrast to Shreya’s idealized vision. “…From the outside, government jobs appear peaceful. From the inside, it’s slow-motion controlled chaos,” they wrote. The speaker then described the frustrations of working in a system where honesty often isolates you and integrity is seen as a barrier. “This is not a peaceful life. This is a silent war, fought every day,” they added, acknowledging that this experience may not apply to all government officials, but resonates with those who work with honesty and patriotism.
Another comment, from someone who had attempted the civil service exams several times, shared his own experience of the high-pressure civil service journey. “During my 6 years of preparation… each time I missed a few points,” they wrote, reflecting on the challenges and uncertainties of the trip.
In contrast, others defended the private sector, with one speaker offering the tech industry’s perspective. They highlighted the high demand for skilled developers, especially in the AI era, suggesting that those who lack technical skills but rely on AI-generated resumes are more likely to be laid off. “Finding people who actually code instead of copying from AI is difficult,” they said, highlighting growing job security challenges in a rapidly changing field.
