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This guest post on the federal hiring frenzy and how to land federal jobs is by Lily Whiteman, author of How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job
Federal Job Openings Continue To Be Available
Who’s hiring all the time? The federal government, that’s who. Yes, no matter how bad the economy gets (and it’s getting pretty bad), the nation’s largest employer hires over 200,000 people every year into well-paying, secure jobs.
But wait, it gets even better: About 40 percent of current feds, including about 90 percent of federal executives, are expected to retire in the next few years.
What’s more, the current presidential transition is triggering additional churn within the federal workforce that will surely last well into next year.
As a result:
- New federal internship programs and recruitment programs for students, recent grads, minorities, and women are popping up across the US almost as fast as new Wal-Marts are opening up.
- Specially designed to provide career-boosting experience, these hiring programs offer substantive project work, not busy work, as well as training, mentoring and networking opportunities.
- Federal agencies are aggressively recruiting experienced professionals at unprecedented rates.
- Current feds are quickly advancing.
Seven Myths About Federal Jobs
U.S. News & World Report describes a government job as a terrific deal, and it includes “government manager” on its list of best careers.
But despite the fantastic opportunities provided by government employers, many job-seekers unfortunately overlook the federal sector solely because they believe false, off-putting myths about federal jobs.
Here are the most common of these myths and the truth about each of them.
- MYTH: Federal salaries are low.
FACT: In most cases, federal salaries meet or beat their private sector counterparts. What’s more, a federal government job offers unparalleled job security, generous vacation time, top-notch health insurance plans, and up to $60,000 in student loan repayments.
- MYTH: You have to pass a civil service test to land a federal job.
FACT: The civil service test was scrapped decades ago. Only very few types of federal openings currently require applicants to take tests.
- MYTH: All federal jobs are based in Washington, D.C.
FACT: Only about 15 percent of federal jobs are based in D.C. The remaining 85 percent are based in other U.S. locations and overseas.
- MYTH: It takes forever to land a federal job.
FACT: Many agencies fill federal job openings in 45 days, which is comparable to the private sector.
- MYTH: All federal internships are volunteer positions that do not pay.
FACT: Even if you’re fresh out of the gate, you deserve to be paid well for your labors — and you will be! Most federal internship programs, which currently collectively employ tens of thousands of undergrads, grad students, law students and recent grads throughout the U.S., offer excellent salaries. In addition, many federal internship programs that specially target minorities even cover transportation and housing costs.
- MYTH: The federal government only hires entry-level employees; in order to become a senior-level manager in government, you must have inside connections or work your way up from the inside.
FACT: Federal employers are currently aggressively recruiting professionals of all levels from the private sector, including senior-level professionals and executives. Because of the retirement wave and other factors, large percentages of new feds are currently entering the federal workforce at the highest pay grades. The overwhelming majority of new hires land their jobs without any inside connections.
- MYTH: You have to have international experience or academic training in international relations to land a federal job that is based overseas.
FACT: Many federal agencies that have large international staffs, such as Foreign Service agencies and the CIA, are currently increasing their demographic, intellectual, racial and gender diversity by recruiting recent grads, experienced professionals and stay-at-home parents who have no previous overseas experience and no academic training in international relations.
Conclusion
With Uncle Sam recruiting record numbers of professionals of all levels into dynamic, top-paying jobs, this is the perfect time to start a federal career. And no matter what you do for a living — whether you’re a blue collar worker or a pin-striped professional — federal employers are searching for professionals with your skills.
A leading authority on federal careers, Lily Whiteman is a contributor to the Jobs section of The Washington Post, the careers columnist of Federal Times and a senior writer at the National Science Foundation, a federal agency. Whiteman’s book, How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job: Your Complete Guide to Opportunities, Internships, Resumes and Cover Letters, Application Essays (KSAs), Interviews, Salaries, Promotions and More! draws on interviews with more than 100 federal hiring managers. Her website, which features insider tips and articles on landing federal jobs, is IGotTheJob.net.
Riding the Federal Job Wave Series:
- Riding the Federal Job Wave: Seven Myths About Federal Employment
- Riding the Federal Job Wave: Five Ways to Conduct a Federal Job Search
- Riding the Federal Job Wave: Seven Ways to Impress Federal Employers
- Riding the Federal Job Wave: 10 Secrets For Landing Federal Jobs
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Comments
This is great advice! My mother works for the Federal Government and has for years, simply for the stability and benefits she is offered. She is grateful to be working for them in these lean times. Often people overlook government jobs because of the “process” sometimes involved in trying to obtain these jobs. They are out there for those that truly want them!
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