Fresh Profile: U.S. Government Jobs

Published on 2008-07-24

The largest single employer in the U.S. is not retail giant Wal-Mart, fast food king McDonald's, or even coffee behemoth Starbucks; it's the U.S. government. Uncle Sam employs more than 1.8 million federal workers, excluding postal workers. At the state and local levels, about 8 million workers hold government jobs, not including public education jobs. And although some federal jobs-politics, anyone?-carry a bit of a stigma, many people like government work because it's relatively stable and widely available in towns and cities across the country. In fact, 9 out of 10 federal government jobs are located somewhere other than Washington, D.C. Depending on the title, gov jobs also typically come with cushy benefits, membership in unions, and larger annual salaries than similar private-sector jobs.

Unlike private companies that specialize in providing specific goods or services, the government covers a wide breadth of public services; thus, it's difficult to paint an accurate portrait of typical U.S. government jobs. Certainly government jobs include city jobs-the bus driver of your morning commute, for example, or the maintenance crew repaving streets. Civil service jobs are also under the government's jurisdiction-the police officer directing traffic when the power goes out or the senior librarian at your nearest library. Local government jobs are also held by your third-grade teacher, the ambulance dispatcher who takes the call when a there's a four-car pileup on the freeway, or the social worker who investigates abuse cases. State government jobs might include those held by your elected state representatives, senators, or governor. Military jobs, including navy jobs and air force jobs, are under the government umbrella as well. And, yes, even the president is a government worker.

Because government jobs take so many forms, the requirements for obtaining work vary according to the specific occupation. While administrative jobs and maintenance jobs may require only a high school diploma, nursing jobs and other technical occupations usually require some college experience or higher and additional training in the field. Engineering, science, and some healthcare jobs demand at least a bachelor's degree, as do general manager jobs and other professional tracks. At every level, previous related experience or training is always desirable.

Education isn't the only hurdle you'll have to clear. Almost all applicants for federal jobs must be U.S. citizens. Veterans may be given preference over candidates with similar qualifications. If you're going to work with sensitive materials, you'll also undergo a background investigation. How far the government will burrow into your past employment, credit history, and criminal history will depend on the job, but assume that applicants for positions requiring high levels of clearance will be subject to more intensive background checks.

If you do land a government job, your work hours and work environment could be quite variable. You could work as a full-time employee, as the majority of people who work for the government do, or you could hold one of many telecommuting jobs that allow you to perform some work from home or a regional center. Inspection and compliance jobs often require the majority of work to be done in the field and could even involve travel for days or weeks at a time. In addition, some government jobs are performed in familiar settings such as offices and laboratories, while others take place in stressful environments like airports, construction sites, and military bases.

Despite a projected decline in government jobs through the next decade, interested job seekers shouldn't rule out the possibility of working for the government. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that even though federal belt tightening will eliminate some government jobs, there will be significant need to replace retiring federal workers, as well as some new positions arising from increased homeland security concerns. In the future, administrative jobs and production jobs will be contracted, automated, or eliminated, and professional government jobs will become more prevalent. At the state and local levels, cuts to retirees' pensions and benefits may make government jobs less desirable, but this could also ebb the floods of resumes that hiring departments receive. In general, job seekers should brace themselves for competition, especially if the current economic crunch continues.

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