Some pretty good points here. The best people don’t want to work in a mediocre environment. But government still has a lot to offer that private industry can’t: a lot of responsibility at a young age, the ability to make a big impact on the world, service to one’s country.
So, I shouldn’t have gone to grad school?
“I’m biased to the model that change happens in small groups, in small organizations. I’m skeptical of solo efforts, and I’m skeptical of mass movements. You have a small group of people who come together, united by a purpose.” and “One of the rough rules I had at PayPal was that people were responsible for one primary thing. I wanted to be really clear that the job descriptions for everybody were different, so you would not have this endemic conflict. I think that was very powerful.”
“So let me say it again. Don’t be an asshole. Be yourself. The miracle of being that you were meant to be. A person that, consumed with passion, seared with happiness, aglow with meaning, brings forth all that is great, noble, and true in the world, and so, with love, mercy, and wisdom, lifts every life that you meet into the light.”
“The broader implication—that the organization itself might alter its expectations—was lost.”
You should read something like this every 3 months at least. If you want a great book on the subject, read Career Warfare.