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Summary Civil service jobs offer
stability in a changing job market. Benefits can include lots of holidays
and retirement plans.
Who's the largest employer in the United States?
The federal government. With nearly 3 million employees, it offers positions for
everyone from high school graduates to PhDs. State and local governments employ another
7.3 million Americans.
And while you may think every bureaucrat on the planet works inside the Beltway, a
surprising four out of five federal employees work outside the Washington, DC,
metropolitan area. State and local governments may be even better employers to target.
While federal jobs are expected to decline by 9 percent, state and local government
employment is projected to increase about 12 percent from 1998 to 2008, according to the
US Department of Labor.
Federal employees get a nice benefits package that includes 13 to 26 vacation days
depending on length of service, 13 sick days, life, disability and health insurance
(partially paid), flex time and a pension.
The federal government loves health industry employees. It hires registered nurses to
work in the Indian Health Service in New Mexico for $27,000 to $46,000 a year. A nurse
consultant who provides recommendations to the Healthcare Financing Administration on
clinical issues related to Medicare earns $63,000 to $82,000. If you have only a high
school diploma, you can train as a nursing aide at the VA Medical Center in Lebanon,
Pennsylvania, and earn $15,000 to $19,000 a year while you learn.
Uncle Sam also hires substance abuse and mental health advisors, paramedics,
pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physical therapy assistants and physician assistants.
And don't forget that the Armed Forces hires nurses for glamorous locations such as
Hawaii, and even the great blue yonder -- flight nurses who work on aircraft.
It's Safe
Being a bureaucrat is still one of the fairest and most secure jobs on earth, at least
at the federal level. The federal government tries to be objective in its hiring, and
managers are supposed to select the candidate whose skills, ability and knowledge best
match those needed to do the job.
The hiring process for the federal government, as well as many state and local
government jobs, is quite different than the private sector. Typically, vacancies are
announced publicly, along with a list of required skills, experience and education.
Applicants are judged based on whether or not they posses those requirements.
You may have to pass a written exam or even a physical exam. Each applicant is ranked
numerically, and veterans automatically get bonus points. If you don't fill the bill,
you're out. There's no bluffing your way through an interview or charming your way into a
position for which you're not qualified.
Don't Get Burned
As you begin looking for the perfect civil servant position, watch out for scams
offering to find you a federal, state or local government job. Federal job information is
always free and if there's an exam, the agency will typically give you a free set of
sample questions before the test date. Scammers can be pretty tricky; they use
official-sounding names like "the US Agency for Career Advancement."
The alarm should sound if any company:
- Implies it's affiliated with the government.
- Refers you to a toll-free number answered by someone who tries to sell you information
booklets.
- Operates a toll-free number that refers you to a pay-per-call number for more
information.
Pros and Cons of Civil Servant Jobs
Pros
Complete benefits
Job security
Some jobs require only a GED.
Focus on promotion and hiring of minorities and women
Lots of holidays
Flextime commonly offered
Ability to work from home
Cons
It is a bureaucracy.
You may have to pass an exam.
Stigma of being a bureaucrat
Most jobs are in DC, California, New York, Texas and Florida.
Loan defaults and misdemeanors can derail you.
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