What are the different areas of Government jobs?

• State jobs are those that deal with state government. Every state has its own government and therefore hires its own workers. Many of the jobs are located in the capital city of each state but not all of them.

Many different occupations exist including professional, specialty, executive, administrative and managerial. These types of occupations exist at the federal, state and local level. The following are some sample jobs and their duties.

• Engineers such as chemical, civil, aeronautical, industrial, electrical, mechanical, and nuclear work on projects such as design problems as well as other areas in engineering including building bridges and computer systems. The Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, state and local governments all employ these types of jobs.

• The government also employs Registered Nurses and Physicians along with other health professionals. Many of these people work for the Department of Veterans Affairs at VA hospitals as well as other places.

• Jobs that are considered executive, administrative and managerial are at the highest levels, including heads of federal agencies and programs. Other jobs are general managers, top executives, and middle managers. Some of these people are the head of federal agencies or programs, or they oversee one activity or aspect of a program.

• Accountants and Auditors are examples of positions that provide management support. Their duties may include preparing and analyzing financial reports, and reviewing and recording revenues and expenditures.

• Administrative Support Workers include secretaries; bookkeepers; stock, traffic, shipping and receiving clerks; and receptionists and switchboard operators.

Since the government employs people for almost all types of jobs, most 4-year bachelor’s degrees will suffice. Some positions do require a specific undergraduate degree, graduate or professional degree.

• For professional specialty, executive, administrative, and managerial occupations a 4-year degree is sufficient. Engineers, physicians and physical scientists require a bachelor’s or higher degree in a specific field of study.

• Administrative support occupations usually only require a high school diploma, although any further training is helpful.

• Technicians are required to have some vocational training or extensive work experience. Some also have two-year associate degrees.

• For most other occupations, a high school diploma is sufficient.

In this day and age one of the best ways to look for government jobs is on the Internet. The Internet hosts a variety of useful sites representing all levels of government. While the Internet is a useful resource, it is helpful to know something about the employment process on the federal level in order to maximize your chance for employment.

• The office that handles federal government employment is the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. OPM developed USAJOBS which is the Federal Government’s Employment Information System.

• USAJOBS can be accessed though the Internet at http://usajobs.opm.gov or via phone at (912) 757-3000. This resource provides access to worldwide jobs vacancy information at all levels of government. With some of the job listings you will be able to apply over the Internet or the telephone. The job listings are updated daily and the information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Another way to find out about job openings is through touch screen kiosks located in OPM and many federal buildings. The kiosks provide current job vacancies, as well as necessary applications and forms. You can locate these buildings though the OPM web page.

• To apply for federal employment, in most cases you can either use a resume or the optional application for Federal Employment (OF-612). If you apply over the Internet or on the phone there may be some special forms to fill out and/or instructions to follow.

• If you use any other format other than the OF-612 the following information needs to be included in the application material:

Other helpful Internet sites:

Federal Government:

Local Government:

Today there is no single "civil service test." Eighty percent of government jobs are filled based on your background, work experience, and education but not through a written test. This is true for jobs at every level of government.

• The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) uses testing for Clerical jobs at GS-2, 3 and 4 along with technical aid jobs at GS-2 and GS-3. If the job is at GS-5 or higher there is usually no test used.

Salaries are determined by the level of training you have had previously, and what type of position you are seeking. The General Schedule (GS) is the list of salaries at the different GS levels. This applies to local, state and federal government.

• If you have a college degree but no specialized experience in a career field you are eligible for appointment at the GS-5 pay scale. If you have maintained a B average or met other academic qualifications well in college you can start out at a GS-7.

• If you do not have a college degree but a high school diploma you can still qualify for jobs at the GS-2 level. If you have several months of general experience you can qualify for either GS-3 or GS-4. For a GS-5 job you have to have 1 year of specialized experience equal to the next lower grade.

• The General Schedule is as follows:

GS-1 13,362 GS-6 22,948 GS-11 37,744

GS-2 15,023 GS-7 25,501 GS-12 45,236

GS-3 16,392 GS-8 28,242 GS-13 53,793

GS-4 18,401 GS-9 31,195 GS-14 63,567

GS-5 20,588 GS-10 34,353 GS-15 74,773

• Between each of these levels there are ten sub-levels. As you increase in the sub-levels your pay will also increase. For example, at the GS-1 level you start out at 13,362 but can earn up to 17,351 before moving to GS-2.