Where Careers Live: Sectors and Employers
Study the four sectors where jobs exist and how each one feels day to day.
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Questions Covered in This Set
10 cards to master
What are the four big 'homes' for work?
Private sector (for-profit business), public sector (government), nonprofit sector, and self-employment.
What share of American workers are in the private sector?
About 4 out of 5 — roughly 80%. These employers sell goods or services and aim to earn more than they spend.
Who funds the public sector, and how big is it?
Taxes fund it, and about 1 in 7 workers are employed there across federal, state, and local government. Local government is the biggest slice.
Why is a teacher a public-sector employee?
Public schools are the single largest chunk of local government employment, which is the biggest part of the public sector.
What makes a nonprofit different from a business?
Nonprofits can earn money but cannot distribute profit to owners — any surplus goes back into the mission. About 1 in 10 workers are in nonprofits.
Where does nonprofit funding come from?
Donations, grants, and fees — which is why 'grant season' shapes the work calendar.
What are the trade-offs of self-employment?
Total control over your schedule, but no guaranteed paycheck, and you buy your own health insurance. You are boss, janitor, accountant, and salesperson.
What is the key insight about job title vs. workplace?
A job title names the work, not the setting. Almost every career exists in all four sectors — same skills, very different days.
What five dimensions should you probe with guest speakers?
Who pays you, what 'doing a good job' means, how much freedom you have, risk and stability, and benefits.
Where are benefits usually strongest and weakest?
Strongest in government and large private firms; a do-it-yourself project for the self-employed.
