[muawiyah]

Most government employees (outside the USPS) enter federal service sometime in their mid-thirties ~ almost always in a career specialty area exactly the same as they had in the private sector.

Many actually are hired into ongoing multi-year developmental projects.

You should check on how Department of Defense works sometime. They have an awful lot of systems analysts, computer systems designers, logistics personnel, etc. AS WELL AS war planners, spending their careers "doing stuff" (much of it too secret for you to hear about).

[bvw]

much of it too secret for you to hear about

Total BS.

[Pontiac]

Many actually are hired into ongoing multi-year developmental projects.

Oh, very true. Long term projects that nearly invariably miss their deadlines and are massively over budget (with little or no accountability).

You should check on how Department of Defense works sometime.

The Dept of Defense is huge but it is not the whole of the Federal Government.

I know of a half dozen people who left the private sector to get out of the rat race and in to a secure government job.