Looking for an interesting career or way to give back to society? Deanna Deveney explains why serving the public is so important for society.

The work of a public servant never ends. At the community level, water flows through taps and trash gets picked up because of hard work on the part of public servants, among others. Internationally, government employees coordinate relations between nations, allowing for international travel, trade, and more. Deanna Deveney, who has worked in public service for many years, sheds light on just how important the work is.

“Without public servants, the world would look like a very, very different place,” explains Deanna Deveney. “Public service and government programs touch almost every aspect of our lives. The mail gets delivered, the lights come on because of work on the part of government employees.”

Of course, many folks outside of government organizations also play vital roles. Still, governments are essential as they can champion the needs of citizens and communities. Public servants are encouraged to put the people first and to act as a more neutral party when working with private companies and other stakeholders. Ultimately, this is important for safeguarding rights and the interests of society as a whole.

Deanna Deveney Says Public Servants Can Champion Society

Without public servants, it’s quite possible that the needs and desires of the people would end up ignored. In some situations, people might even find themselves more susceptible to exploitation. Public servants can safeguard common people from exploitation and can also hold parties accountable if they should wrong society.

“One of the best parts of working as a public servant is that you focus on helping people and protecting communities,” Deanna Deveney notes. “Without public servants, the common person might often suffer on the whims of more powerful people and organizations.”

Go back a few hundred years and many companies would openly pollute environments or exploit workers, for example. Workplace accidents were common as well and injured parties often had little if any recourse. Likewise, many societies were ruled by unelected rulers, such as kings. And often, the rights and needs of citizens were of secondary importance. Governments have since evolved, however, and many now focus on building better societies for all.

Now, many countries feature democracies, allowing people to choose their leaders and to have input when public policies are crafted. This has spurred the evolution of many laws and practices. For example, 40-hour work weeks are now the standard in the United States and many governments offer citizens recourse should they be injured by an employer or another organization. Safety standards have also made working and society as a whole safer.

“Society still has a ways to go and there are many areas that can be improved,” Deanna Deveney points out. “Still, conditions have steadily improved in the United States and many other countries over the last few hundred years. This is due, in large part, to the efforts of public servants.”