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GOVERNMENT JOBS OVERVIEW
Government Jobs / Federal Jobs / Post Office Jobs

 

 Government Occupations   Pay & Benefits
 Government Job Outlook ●  Locating a Government Job
 How to Get Started ●  Education Requirements   

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INTRODUCTION 

Consider the numbers. Uncle Sam employs over 2,704,000 workers and hires an average of 300,000 new employees each year to replace workers that transfer to other federal or private jobs, retire, or stop working for other reasons. Average annual salary of all full-time employees exceeded $67,000 as of January 2007. The U.S Government is the largest employer in the United States, hiring 2 percent of the nation’s civilian work force.

Job hunters will find it considerably less difficult today to locate job vacancies and to apply for federal jobs. Significant changes were implemented over the past 5 years to streamline the hiring process, including:

  • Resumes and new simplified optional forms replaced the six-page SF-171 Federal Application.
     
  • Many Federal registers, lists of rated job applicants, were abolished. Job seekers now apply direct to most agencies.
     
  • Civil service tests were thrown out for 110 professional and administrative occupations.
     
  • Uncle Sam launched USAJOBS, an interactive career and employment web site, touch screen computers at many federal buildings, electronic bulletin boards, and 24 hour-a-day telephone job vacancy request lines.
     
  • Student employment was consolidated and streamlined into two programs: the Student Temporary Employment Program and the Student Career Experience Program.

You need to know how to take advantage of the federal hiring system and recent changes to successfully land the job you want in government. The Book of U.S. Government Jobs provides this information and includes easy to use check lists to help you through the process.

Tremendous job opportunities are available for those who know how to tap this lucrative job market. All government hiring is based on performance and qualifications regardless of your sex, race, color, creed, religion, disability, or national origin. Where else can you apply for a high paying entry-level job that offers employment at thousands of locations internationally, excellent career advancement opportunities, plus careers in hundreds of occupations?

Currently, over 34% of the all federal employees, approximately 919,683, are eligible for  retirement and within the next year 50%, 1,352,475 workers, will be eligible for regular or early retirement. When employees bid on retirement vacancies, entry level jobs are created.

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NATURE OF FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT

The Federal Government of the United States affects the lives of Americans everywhere. It defends Americans from foreign aggressors, represents American interests abroad, provides important public services, creates and enforces laws, and administers social programs. Americans are aware of the Federal Government when they pay their income taxes each year, but they are often unaware of government's influence when they watch a daily weather forecast, purchase fresh and uncontaminated groceries, travel on highways or by aircraft, or make a deposit in a bank. Workers employed by the Federal Government play a vital role in these and many other facets of American life.

The Constitution of the United States divides the Federal Government into the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The executive is by far the largest of the branches, but each is equally vital in running the country. Appendix C of The Book of U.S. Government Jobs provides detailed information for all branches of government including internet web site addresses, personnel office phone numbers, agency description, and the largest occupations for that office. The 8th edition of this just released updated edition completely describes career opportunities in civilian jobs of the Federal Government including career opportunities in the U.S. Postal Service (an independent agency of the Federal Government).

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WORKING CONDITIONS

Almost every working condition found in the private sector can also be found in the federal government. Most white-collar employees work in office buildings, hospitals, or laboratories, while blue-collar employees generally work in factories, warehouses, shipyards, air bases, or construction sites. Others spend much of their time outdoors, such as those employed in national parks and forests. Work environments can range from very controlled and relatively relaxed environments, while other environments are quite hazardous and stressful - such as those of law enforcement officers, astronauts, or air traffic controllers.

Many federal workers' duties require travel away from their duty station to attend meetings, complete training, or perform inspections while others - such as auditors, instructors, field engineering crews, and safety investigators - may require extensive travel for weeks or months at a time. Some employees are on continuous travel and receive lump sum payments to cover travel costs. Alternative work schedules are available to many workers through negotiated union contracts that permit flextime or compressed work schedules. Some agencies are experimenting with flexiplace or telecommuting which allow workers to perform some job duties at home and many larger federal workplaces now offer child care facilities for working parents.

Over sixty percent of all agencies recently surveyed have some form of Quality of Work Life (QWL) or Employee Involvement (EI) program implemented throughout their workforce. These programs encourage employee participation at all levels to improve overall efficiency, productivity, and working conditions.

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Although the federal government employed workers in almost every occupation in 2003, about three out of four federal workers were employed in professional and related positions; management, business, and financial; or office and administrative support occupations.

 

 

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