What is the Government Sector?
Government career paths involve all jobs related to local, state, and federal government. Careers in the US government represent multiple industries with thousands of workers across the country. Government jobs are more than just law enforcement and legislative representatives. Individuals working for the government could have a career doing anything from cybersecurity to park landscaping, so people from all backgrounds work in government positions, taking care of the operations, resources, and information that helps American society run.
Why we Love Government Careers
Government career paths are tied to the laws that create and manage them. This results in stable wages and benefits for most entry-level jobs. For example, all federal employees participate in the FEHB program, which grants comprehensive health coverage. Government career paths are extremely diverse, broad in scope, and pull in workers from all backgrounds and industries. Government jobs also have clear expectations and requirements for eligibility, though it comes at the expense of extra levels of bureaucracy and administrative oversight.
What are the most important things you need to know about pursuing Government Careers?
You’ll need to submit education and work history as with other jobs, but some positions may require extensive personal history, credit history, and more. Hearing back from submitted job applications may take several weeks, perhaps even months, depending on the position. Some positions may require physical, fitness, or educational exams.
Getting hired to work for a specific department, such as the FBI or an Armed Forces branch, may require you to pass a thorough background and clearance check. If you pass, your security clearance will give you access to more privileged information, though you won’t be allowed to tell anyone about it. If you have trouble keeping secrets or if being unable to share information with people troubles you, then these jobs with security clearance are probably not for you. Instead, try looking into jobs without the clearance.
Because of elections, new laws, and other political changes, any job you take in the government sector may be affected during the course of your work there. At certain levels, leadership changes happen every few years as new officials are elected and new appointments are made. Funding and resources may shift as local, state, and federal government agencies adjust the budget and allocate resources. Some careers may even be lost as budget cuts are made.
Hear from a real life Government Employee in the video below.
Great resources for pursuing Government Career Paths
Other Links
The Atlantic’s Inside Jobs interviews series:
Political Convention Organizer