Is Public Utilities a Good Career Path?

Are you seeking a career in public utilities? Is Public Utilities a Good Career Path? Yes, Public Utilities is a Good Career Path. Kindly read this article to understand the benefits and limitations of the public utility industry.

Public Utilities is one of the lucrative career paths that has been receiving attention in recent times. It is one of the public sectors that the general public directly benefits from. For instance, public utilities such as electricity, gas, water, appliances, and electronics are indispensable to people. They are part of things people use every day. 

However, when the question of whether this field is a good career path arises. The answer is an emphatic yes. Public utilities are a sector that is high-paying and lucrative that young people should look at. Every public utility company is an organization that employs personnel to do their services. Every professional public utility worker is at the heart of maintaining public service. In short, more workers are always needed to cater to this ever-dynamic sector.

In this article, we’ll detail the key benefits of taking public utilities as a career path and also the challenges that you might face in your journey as public utility personnel. But before that, we need to understand what public utilities entail

Understanding Public Utilities

Public Utilities are services that are fundamental to life. They are services that are crucial to the general public. Examples of public utilities include transportation, water, gas, electricity, infrastructure, and many others. Public utilities companies are the link between the government and the populace. Their services are instrumental to the well-being of the citizens. This explains why the sector is lucrative and in demand.

However, public utility companies must be able to live up to expectations by meeting people’s needs all the time, their services should be reliable and available to people every time. Whenever there is an interruption of their service, people tend to suffer from it. For instance, if there is to be an interruption of power or water utilities, it would hurt people as both services are an essential part of our daily life.

Is public utilities a good career path?

Yes, public utilities is a good career path that rewards finance and job security.

Whether you are coming from an entirely different field or your dream is public utilities, it is important to weigh the benefits and the limitations of the public utility sector before delving into it. The following are the benefits and the limitations you might want to consider before choosing public utilities as a career path

Benefits of Working in Public Utilities

Job Security

One of the core reasons you should go for public utilities is the idea of job safety. Unlike the private utility where the CEO can hire and fire at will, public utilities are owned by organizations where decisions are ratified by the administrative board before dismissal. 

Moreover, public utilities workers have a union body that fights for the welfare of their members. Unlike the private utilities that give no room for litigation after dismissal even if unjust, a public utility worker can seek redress in court if he feels cheated by the decision to sack him. 

In addition, jobs in the public utilities are secure because it has an affiliation with the government and government jobs are largely secure. A private utility company can decide to lay off staff whenever they are having a dip in the market.

Competitive Salary

Workers in public utilities are one of the highest paid. According to Zip Recruiter, the average annual pay for public utility workers in the US range from $24,500 to $123,500 depending on skill level and experience. In public utilities, workers are paid based on their experience and not necessarily based on the certificate they possessed.

Less Competitive Entry Level Job

In some other sectors, securing an entry-level job is extremely competitive. However, in public utilities, one can easily get an entry-level job. Since public utilities are vital to society, more entry levels are usually available to qualified candidates.

An Opportunity To Directly Interact With The Populace

Public utilities offer the advantage of mingling and interacting with the public. They provide essential services that are fundamental to the life of the populace. So if you are somebody that loves to help people solve their problems, the public utility sector could be ideal for you. For example, a public utility professional ensures that clean water, stable electricity, and smooth roads are available for public consumption. With this, they are also contributing to the overall growth of society.

Room to Upskill

One of the greatest reasons why you might want to go for a career in public utilities is the opportunity to enhance your skill and gain valuable experience. As the world is evolving and new technologies are being introduced, a public utility professional needs to go with the trend. The sector allows for training and retraining of workers which enhances their knowledge and put them at the zenith of their career

Limitations of working in public utilities

Lack of Flexibility

Most jobs in the public utility space are not flexible. They require workers to work 24 hours non-stop. Although there may be shifts at some point, it is still long tedious work. Moreover, you will hardly find remote jobs in public utilities, most jobs are on-site and require the physical activeness of workers. This kind of non-shifting work could be detrimental to the health as many health challenges such as fatigue, insomnia, and disorderliness could set in which can damage the mental and physical health.

Keeping pace with technology

Technology keeps evolving and many software solutions are being introduced. However, as much as this is a meritorious innovation, it could prove difficult to work with. Workers in public utilities are expected to work with different technologies which might be difficult to grasp

Not Being Appreciated Enough

Public utility workers, despite being one of the stimulating workforces that hold the economy, are sometimes underappreciated. Many people do not see them as real-time workers, they view them as laborers. Unless you are in a society that understands the importance of the sector, you might feel undervalued by people not appreciating your service

Conclusion: Is Public Utilities a Good career Path?

The question of whether public utilities is a good career path can not be answered at a go. It depends on the personalities of the individual involved. An individual that can withstand long hours of work continuously without any effect could adapt to the sector. However, an individual that can’t do without sleeping may not thrive in the sector. Overall, your satisfaction and fulfillment should be the utmost priority. So choose wisely.