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Career Exploration and Development
261 Schwartz Center
330-672-2360
www.kent.edu/career

Why Consider Federal Employment?

• They are the largest employer in the United States.

• Half of current employees may be eligible to retire by 2017.

• May qualify you for a student loan forgiveness program.

• Job security: The government will never go out of business.

• Agencies seek graduates of all majors, not only Political Science majors.

• Generous benefits package including competitive health, vacation and retirement plans.

• Jobs are available in every state, not just Washington, D.C.

Myths

Applying for a government job may seem daunting, but the reality is, most people are qualified for all types of federal work. There are many questions to answer concerning the process. Here are a few common myths on applying/working for the government:

Mission Critical Occupations (MCO’s)

MCO’s are areas where an agency must fill positions to accomplish the mission of their agency. These are key areas where you should focus your efforts. For example, the federal government will need to fill 274,000 MCO positions by 2015. See for more information. Mission-critical hiring is concentrated in the following occupational areas:

• Medical & Public Health

• Security & Protection

• Compliance & Enforcement

• Legal

• Administration/Program Management

Applying for Federal Jobs

The process is more time-consuming than a traditional job search, despite the fact that agencies have improved their speed and quality of hiring in recent years (agencies now try to make decisions within six weeks of posting their job). They have eliminated the essay from the first round, and focus on your resume and cover letter. Unlike previous years,applicants are notified about their status. Don’t be intimidated by the federal resume, which is different from a traditional resume.

• The Federal Resume
  • 1-5 pages in length
  • Includes more specific job information (average hours worked/week, salary, employer address)
  • Sections include: personal information (citizenship), education, work experience, references, affiliations, desired locations.
  • Entering data into helps to create 5 federal resumes and 2 non-federal resumes.
  • Candidates may be asked to write essays in the second and third rounds of the process (up to a full page in length for each).
  • Candidates are still encouraged to forward their one-page civilian resume to the interviewer.

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Negotiations

While we like to think everything is negotiable, federal hiring is a standardized process.
Scale is used to determine your rate of pay. The grades range from 1-15, with 10 steps within each grade. Salary can vary based on geographic location. Most bachelor degree holders begin at GS-5, but can start at a GS-7 with a high GPA and/or academic honors. Master’s degrees may start at GS-9; doctorate holders can start at GS-11.

Background Checks

So you’ve received the job offer. Now the real fun begins. Uncle Sam wants to know more about you in order to grant you a security clearance. They’ll first conduct a basic background check of your criminal and credit histories. Honesty is more important than having a spotless record. Past mistakes will be considered on a case-by-case basis; lying will disqualify you. A more intensive investigation begins once the offer has been made. They’ll be looking at your international experience and contacts (dual citizenship, travel/study/live overseas, foreign-born spouse), drug use, financial history and disciplinary record. If you are brought aboard, you’ll be given one of three types of clearances:

• Top Secret 
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• Confidential (vast majority get this)

Important websites to learn more information:

For more career-related tips, visit www.kent.edu/career