“I’ll never EVER work for the government!”

My father, a public servant of almost thirty years, would roll his eyes every time I started one of my well-known rants about what I believed to be a boring, stuffy way to make a living. “Do you even know how long it takes to get a single-paged document approved?”

After twelve months of balancing a variety of tasks and responsibilities with two busy nonprofit organizations in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I had convinced myself that government timelines simply weren’t up to my fast-paced standards. The fact that I was writing off our country’s largest employer offering the widest range of employment opportunities in Canada hadn’t even occurred to me. To make matters even more embarrassing, these conclusions were all made without ever having worked even a day for the Government of Canada.

In September 2006, I found myself at the head office of the Public Health Agency of Canada beginning the final co-op term of my Bachelor of Public Relations. The modern building, one of three housing the young Agency in Ottawa, was anything but stuffy. Instead, it was flooded with natural light, new technology, and eager, motivated professionals bravely tackling international issues including avian and pandemic flu, fetal alcohol syndrome, senior safety, and HIV/AIDS prevention, among many others.

As part of the team, I was surrounded by about 35 communicators and marketers, each with extensive knowledge and experience in ensuring the promotion and protection of the health of Canadians. These men and women were always quick to answer any question I had – whether it was about government protocol or the effectiveness of immunization – and were happy to bring me on board in developing plans and materials for emergency measures operations, multi-million dollar investments, and new quarantine legislation. Certainly not the dull paper-shuffling that I had envisioned!

Public Health Agency employees, when they’re not facilitating technological and medical breakthroughs, are also notably engaged in their communities, raising thousands of dollars for the United Way through creative events with hilarious results. From an ‘Amazing Race’ sending my teammate and I dashing through cubicles like mice in a maze, to the Halloween competition that inspired my Fluey costume (Huey, Dewey and Louie’s bird-flu infected cousin), the PHAC office was dynamic, light-hearted and a wonderful place to spend four months. If that’s not enough reason to look into working for the government’s healthiest agency, the on-site gym access and fully-stocked cafeteria and grill – daily variety of fresh salad choices and cookies the size of your face – should be enough to sweeten the deal.

As for me, my time spent with the Government of Canada continues to be reflected in the quality and professionalism of my work. My four months in a federal position added substantially to my résumé and portfolio, making me much more appealing for employment in any sector. Upon finishing classes this past summer, I’ve been working for a crown corporation, no doubt thanks to my federal history, and I continue to benefit from the lessons learned through my government experience.

Expand your boundaries and open a world of opportunities with the Government of Canada. Just don’t tell my dad he was right – he’ll never let me live it down!


- Benjamin Boudreau


Benjamin Boudreau is a recent graduate of the public relations program at Mount Saint Vincent University. Benjamin is presently a communications officer for Canada Post Corporation based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. In his off hours, he volunteers for the All Rights Reserved Literary Journal and writes content for his online home, http://bensprblog.blogspot.com.