How to Get a Government Job
Dear Alex: What are some ideas for looking for a job with the federal government?
Good plan. Approximately 2.7 million people are employed by the federal government and 84% are located outside of the Washington DC area.
Contrary to my advice for other sectors, most federal jobs are secured through traditional application procedures. To access the federal-job postings, start with www.usajobs.gov, which, as of this writing, lists over 50,000 openings. That site has a separate link for positions created by the stimulus package.
Visit the individual websites of your favorite federal agencies. You can access the major ones from http://dcjobsource.com/fed.html. An agency may have special positions and recruitment programs listed only on its site. That means you’ll be competing with fewer job seekers.
An even more under-the-radar source of shorter term federal jobs is www.fedbizopps.gov. It lists positions, including many overseas, which are filled via personal service contracts. Those jobs are less secure than government jobs but usually pay more. Best of luck!
Alexandra Levit
Alexandra Levit’s goal is to help people find meaningful jobs - quickly and simply - and to succeed beyond measure once they get there. A former nationally syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a current contributor for Fortune and Metro US, Alexandra has authored several books, including the bestselling They Don't Teach Corporate in College, How'd You Score That Gig?, Success for Hire, MillennialTweet, and New Job, New You. Her book on the top myths of business success is due out from Penguin/Berkley in the fall of 2011. Since serving as a member of Business Roundtable's Springboard Project, which advised the Obama administration on current workplace issues, Alexandra produced the critically acclaimed JobSTART 101 (www.jobstart101.org), a free online course that better prepares college students and graduates for the challenges of the workplace. She is a frequent national media spokesperson and has been featured in thousands of outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, ABC News, Fox News, CNBC, the Associated Press, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan. In 2010, she was named Money Magazine's Online Career Expert of the Year and the author of one of Forbes' best websites for women. Known as one of the premiere spokespeople of her generation, Alexandra regularly speaks at conferences, universities, and corporations around the world including the American Society for Training and Development, Campbell's Soup, McDonalds, and Whirlpool — on issues facing modern employees such as how to communicate effectively between generations.
