Making the Difference with a Career in the Federal Government
Are you interested in finding a career that uses your major and earns a competitive salary while also allowing you to make a difference in the lives of others? If so, a career in the federal government might be for you. By 2012, the Partnership for Public Services estimates that the federal government will hire nearly 273,000 new workers for mission-critical jobs.
The University Career Center has compiled a variety of resources to help you investigate job and internship opportunities in the federal government. This information should help you navigate the application process and determine which jobs and agencies might fit your needs.
Why Public Service?
The federal government is the nation's largest employer and they are hiring! To get more information about what it's really like to work for the government, use the website http://www.makingthedifference.org/. You'll learn about the federal agencies and cabinet departments as well as the specifics on the competitive salary and benefits.
Where the Jobs Are
Full-time Jobs: All jobs are required to be posted at http://www.usajobs.gov/. You can also research individual agency sites; however, all positions are applied to through http://www.usajobs.gov/.
Internships: To locate student positions, you are advised to look at individual agency websites since not all internship positions are posted on usajobs.gov. The Internship Directory on makingthedifference.org is also a good resource.
Positions for undergraduate students fall into two categories: Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) and Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP). SCEP positions for each agency relate to a student's particular major and require that a student complete 640 hours prior to graduation. STEP positions are temporary and do not have to relate to the student's major.
Mission-Critical Jobs
The top five needed areas are Medical and Public Health, Security and Protection, Compliance and Enforcement, Legal, Administration/Program Management. To see which mission-critical areas will need the most hires, you can read the 2009 report "Where the Jobs Are" (pdf) compiled by the Partnership for Public Service.
