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Job security. Student loan debt forgiveness. There are a number of tangible perks that come with working for the federal, state or local government, including the ability to better the country and our society in ways big and small. In this guide, you'll learn about what government jobs offer, the types of jobs available, job search resources, how to apply and information on tuition assistance and loan forgiveness for government employees.
Most of the openings among the estimated two million federal civilian jobs, which amounts to roughly 30, vacancy announcements at any given time, can be found through the centralized resources of USA Jobs , the federal government's official jobs site. In addition, there are jobs at the state government level, which can be found by accessing the resources of each individual state. The map below provides state-by-state links to the relevant agencies. There are a number of tangible benefits the come with working for the federal government, and in many cases this also applies to jobs in state and local government.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, enacted by Congress in , has created a useful bridge between the money students can borrow in order to complete their education and the kinds of jobs they might want to seek both during and after their time in school.
The program forgives the remaining balance on federal Direct Loans after making qualifying monthly payments roughly 10 years under a qualifying repayment plan while working full time for a qualifying employer.
You must be employed full time in any position at a public service organization or serving full time with AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps. Qualifying positions include:. Early childhood education including licensed or regulated health care, Head Start and state-funded pre-kindergarten. Public health including nurses, nurse practitioners, nurses in a clinical setting and full-time professionals engaged in health care practitioner occupations and health care support occupations.
However, they may become eligible if consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan and beginning qualifying payments. Borrowers should also note that only payments made after October 1, —when the program began—are eligible. Borrowers should know that loan forgiveness is not automatic after payments—careful paperwork and certification must be completed for eligibility. Since payments will take at least 10 years, the U. Department of Education recommends borrowers periodically submit an Employment Certification for Public Service Loan Forgiveness form while working toward the eligibility requirements.
Borrowers will be informed of whether their employment and payments qualify toward the program. The certification paperwork must also be signed by the qualifying employer. As we've already seen, government sector employment covers an immense array of job descriptions, opportunities and possibilities.
In fact, it would be easier to come up with a list of common career options that don't have a place within the government, than to list all of the employment areas covered under the umbrella of government work.
The BLS does provide a useful conceptual breakdown of government employment, using six categories listed in the chart below:. Beyond that, there are jobs that are unique to state and local government, cities, municipalities, counties and towns. While it would be impossible to list all of these various employment options, we'll explore some of the possibilities below. Each city, town, and county can have its own approach to governmental structure and municipal services, which can include everything from maintaining parks to ticketing illegally parked cars, from administering the schools to teaching the classes.
Depending on the size of the city or town, the responsibilities of the particular job, and the economic realities of the region, the salary and benefits can differ quite a bit. However, here are a few common jobs available at the local level, along with median annual salaries, based on the BLS's May Occupational Employment Statistics.
Database administrators maintain and operate computer databases that pertain to the functioning of municipalities. Surveying and mapping technicians work with architects, civil engineers and administrators, creating maps for construction and other public works projects, as well as for zoning and other boundary location purposes. Healthcare social workers provide support services and direction to people in need of medical services. Fire inspectors and investigators are charged with insuring that buildings and homes in the municipality are up to code, and investigate fires and explosions.
According to the latest BLS data, nearly 2. And that excludes jobs in schools and hospitals, which are both significant areas of employment within state government.
Essentially, you'll find many of the same kinds of jobs at the state level as you would at the city, town or county level. At the same time, each state has agencies that are charged with larger concerns that mirror federal agencies, from highway and infrastructure maintenance, to taxing assessment and collection. And there are particular areas that are solely the domain of the states, like motor vehicle registries and driver licensing. Below are several examples of common state level jobs, along with median salary data drawn from the BLS's May Occupational Employment Statistics.
Purchasing managers are in charge of procurement for large, state-funded projects, including public works and highway construction, repair and maintenance. Elementary school teachers generally teach in the basic areas of study for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Judicial law clerks work directly for judges who may be appointed or elected, conducting research and preparing legal documents. Agricultural engineers use technology and biological science to solve problems related to soil and water conservation, the processing of meat, poultry and other agricultural products and other farming practices.
Depending on how the numbers are crunched, the U. If you count the military, that adds roughly 1. The BLS numbers for federal government employment by agency indicate that even if you exclude those in the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Army account for more than half of all federal civilian employment. Of course, that includes a whole lot of support staff, from engineers and construction specialists, to doctors, nurses and scientific researchers.
And, the federal bureaucracy also requires secretaries, data managers, public relations coordinators, enforcement officers, training instructors, computer specialists, lawyers, legal analysts, doctors, nurses, dentists, dieticians, nutritionists , and the list goes on and on and on. To get a sense of the range of jobs and salaries that fall under the rubric of federal civilian employment, here are a few employment options in the realm of federal civil service.
Human resource specialists recruit and place workers in appropriate jobs, manage payroll issues, and provide information to employees about health insurance, pension plan and other benefits. Foresters manage and maintain public lands, parks, wildlife habitats, beaches and watersheds, and help to insure compliance with environmental regulations.
Museum technicians and curators are charged with the storage, preservation and exhibition of items in a museum's collection, as well as with research into the nature of various acquisitions. The federal government is, by its own admission, a huge and complex bureaucracy, if not by design, then certainly by necessity. Simply put, even at the state level, the vast array of functions and responsibilities that are in the hands of government agencies requires large organizational structure and hierarchies that have to be both efficient and fair.
That requires a lot of manpower, and a fair amount of judicious oversight and careful enforcement. In other words, it's complicated. And, the process of applying for government jobs had become so impenetrably complex and convoluted that in President Obama issued an executive order to improve and reform federal job recruitment and hiring procedures. As a result, the USAJOBS , the central online hub for federal civilian job openings, has become somewhat more user-friendly, and a new version of the old civil service exam has emerged in the form of USA Hire , an online assessment tool that the Office of Personnel Management indicates is already in use for 10 percent of all federal job openings.
Benefits: Describes additional elements of the compensation package and other perks. How to Apply: Includes instructions and information about when and how you can expect to hear from the agency and may have additional application materials that are required.
But there are other places to look for opportunities as well. For example, the 17 distinct agencies within the Intelligence Community post positions on their individual agency career webpages or at intelligencecareers.
Also, most agencies have a jobs page on their website that provides helpful insights into their hiring processes, organizational charts and mission statements. Partnership for Public Service Opportunities The Partnership for Public Service administers several internship and fellowship programs on behalf of the federal government. These opportunities place students and recent graduates in the federal government to gain valuable work experience for short-term assignments. You can learn about these programs on the website.
Career fairs Career or job fairs are a great way to meet agency representatives to learn about what agency employees do day to day. While there, you can learn straight from the source about the ins and outs of the application process. Social media In case you were wondering, yes, agencies use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and other platforms to post information about their job opportunities.
Personal Networks Friends and family with government connections are likely to have great advice for you on how to find open positions. Faculty members, professors, careers services offices, alumni associations and professional organizations on campus are also good places to get information about open government positions or contacts at federal agencies.
Then you can: Save and automate job searches. With this feature, you can generate searches based on your preferences for job location, schedule and travel involved. Create and upload multiple versions of your resume. Once you have that perfect master resume, you can get creative from there, fashioning other resumes tailored for specific positions. Track the status of each of your applications and where they are in the process.
Are you still in the running? Is there anything else you should do? And use the HR contact information at the bottom of job announcements to ask any additional questions about the position.
Searching for Positions You can refine your searches with the advanced search feature, to narrow by: Agency: Select one or more agency or office preference.
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