A recent poll conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found projected hiring of May 2009 graduates “flat” compared to the Class of 2008. However, government hiring is expected to increase by 19.8 percent.
In a recent interview with Lily Whiteman, author of “How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job: Your Complete Guide to Opportunities, Internships, Resumes and Cover Letters, Application Essays (KSAs), Interviews, Salaries, Promotions and More!”, she offered the following advice for students and recent graduates looking to break into the government sector.
1. Find summer internships and management training programs. A directory of fantastic federal summer internships and special recruitment programs for students and recent graduates is posted at Making the Difference. Also, a hyperlinked list of dynamic federal science internships for students all levels (from high school through graduate school) is posted in the Internships & Fellowships section of the Government Science Portal.
2. Find federal jobs of all levels. The federal government’s main jobs Web site is USAJOBS.gov. About 15,000 nationwide openings are posted on this frequently updated Web site. You can use criteria, such as job titles, locations and salary ranges, to find openings that are ideal for you.
3. Follow all instructions on each application for a federal job. Most applications for federal jobs and internships are rejected because they miss the deadline or fail to provide all of the documents and information that is requested on applications. Therefore, just by following the directions on each application, you can vault ahead of most of your competition.
4. Tailor each of your job applications to your target opening. Emphasize in each application your academic and professional experiences that most closely parallel the demands of your target job, and explain why your target job excites you. Also, provide objective evidence of your past successes, such as honors, awards and high grades that you have earned.
5. Prepare answers for common interview questions. Federal hiring managers rely heavily on common interview questions, such as tell me about yourself, what are your strengths and why do you want to work here. Before your interview, arm yourself with winning answers to such questions by crafting concise answers to these question that emphasize your most relevant, impressive credentials and role-playing job interviews with your trusted advisers.
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