This completely updated edition features the latest information available for finding and applying for federal government jobs. The author and editors have over 110 years of combined federal government service. Considering that federal employees earn an average annual compensation of $106,871, including pay and benefits, compared to $53,288 in the private sector, according to the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, the federal sector is an attractive option for job seekers. The federal government s new recruiting, outreach, and retention programs are attracting new applicants with lucrative incentives. Today federal agencies can pay off new hires student loans, negotiate starting salaries, and offer relocation allowances for critical vacancies.
Readers will find an expanded application and résumé chapter that takes readers step-by-step through a typical job announcement and instructs readers on how to write effective federal style résumés and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) statements. Résumé samples, compiled by the author and Kathryn Kraemer Troutman, the author of Federal Résumé Guidebook, are included to guide job seekers through the sometimes confusing application process.
Considerable improvements were implemented over the past few years to the archaic Civil Service examination process. Uncle Sam has finally dropped most general and administrative written entrance examinations and substituted an Occupational Questionnaire and/or Self Certification in most cases. New applicants for certain occupations may still be required to take written tests, but most agencies, other than the U.S. Postal Service, forgo testing and opt to use Occupational Questionnaires.
Agencies are still evolving since the September 11 attacks and the massive reorganization that established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS was established to consolidate law enforcement and security functions, and 22 agencies transferred significant operational functions and personnel to Homeland Security since its inception.
The impact of this reorganization and the increased security requirements in all agencies have changed government demographics. An entire chapter is devoted to law enforcement and DHS careers and the many job opportunities that are now available in the government s third largest agency. DHS employs more than 154,000 workers in hundreds of occupations.
Many changes were initiated since the previous edition was published. Lucrative recruitment incentives were authorized by Congress, programs such as the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) were revised, and the student hiring program was reorganized under the eScholar program. This edition also added information on the Senior Executive Service (SES), and all these changes expanded the new 10th edition to 352 pages.
The federal government s total civilian workforce as of September 2006 was 2,700,392 and approximately 50 percent of the federal workforce is currently eligible for either early or regular retirement. This is creating significant employment opportunities for anyone interested in working for Uncle Sam. Over 1.3 million jobs will need to be filled as the baby boomers opt to leave government service.
This Tenth Edition of The Book of U.S. Government Jobs will help job seekers land high-paying, benefit-loaded, and secure government jobs. If you re looking for a position with good pay with excellent benefits, explore the high-paying and secure federal job market. The average annual salary for all full-time employees was $67,186 in December 2005, and you can work at thousands of stateside and overseas locations. Use this book s resources, including the Job Hunter s Checklist in Appendix A, to begin your personal job search.
