So it turns out that being a public servant isn’t just unwrapping Ferrero Rochers with ambassadors and ironing out policy wrinkles with ministers. Nor is it a Kafkian nightmare of endless sub-sub-sub-committees.

Let’s bust some myths about ways of working in government. First up:

1. Public service jobs are easygoing

Hoo-boy. Not only are public service jobs stressful, invested and challenging — they’re also not immune to **toxic work environments. **If you’re feeling this way, it’s important to understand that you’re not alone. Two public servants bravely shared their advice:

Mission and empathy are why people join the public service, so it’s important to know that the work is really hard. If you’re after some “words that nourish”, enjoy these lines from a benediction for the weary public servant:

“May your weariness remind you of your humanness –

At the end of ourselves, we find each other.”

2. Government works in siloes

This is only true if you let it be. Just as collaboration is the hot buzzword in public service, there’s a lot of information to help you break out of silos.

To walk in the shoes of a colleague from the other side of government, check out the **exit memos that Apolitical members are writing. Maybe even add your own. To get you started, learn to:
**

3. Government work is slow, archaic and boring

Sure, there are several parts of government that need a 21-st century reboot. But slow meetings, confusing job titles and rigid decision-making structures aren’t immovable laws of nature.

You can do your bit to revitalise public sector work by:

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