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Penn State Altoona
Career Services Office
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601-3760

Phone: (814) 949-5058
Fax: (814) 949-5620
Location: 126 Slep
Office Hours:

Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Evening hours by appointment

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Government Employment

Many graduates are interested in working for the government, but have little awareness of the opportunities available to them or the procedures for locating positions in this work sector. When job seekers speak of “working for the government,” they are actually speaking of the federal government executive agencies only. But there are judicial agencies, staffs of legislators, private organizations that offer services to government agencies, and more. Moreover these opportunities are not limited to the federal government.

This page provides insight into some of these options as well as information and tips on the job search process. This sector is constantly changing and growing. The job seeker should understand the complex systems involved in the job search process.

Federal Government
Generally, most entry-level positions with the Federal Government requiring college degrees are filled in one of the following ways:

Federal Job Opportunities List (FJOL)
This list provides information on positions for which applications are currently being accepted. The FJOL is published on a weekly basis for local areas (e.g., the Philadelphia region); a nationwide list is also published which contains federal job opportunities located anywhere in the nation or world. Both lists are available for review at any Federal Employment Information Center as well as local Job Service Offices.

Federal Employment Information Centers

Philadelphia - Open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You may also request forms by calling (215) 597-7440 or by writing to the Center located in Room 1416, Federal Building, 600 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

Pittsburgh - Open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may drop off requests or write in for forms to the Center located in Room 119, Federal Building, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

Harrisburg - Open everyday except Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. You may also request forms by call (717)782-4494 or by writing to the Center located in Room 168, Federal Building, 228 Walnut Street, P.O. Box 761, Harrisburg, PA 17108.

Baltimore - Open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Self-service only. You may also request forms by calling (215)597-7440 or by writing to the Center located in Room 1416, Federal Building, 600 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

When you see positions in which you are interested and qualified, apply following the instructions with each position.
Quality Graduate Program This program applies to entry-level (GS-5/GS-7) positions filled under the Administrative Careers With America (ACWA) program. ACWA covers a wide range of administrative and professional occupations, many of which do not have specific educational requirements; thus the ACWA program is especially suitable for graduates in Liberal Arts and General Business Administration (except accountants). Approximately 100 different types of occupations are filled through ACWA and are covered under the following groups:

Group I - Health, Safety and Environmental
Group II - Writing and Public Information
Group III - Business, Finance and Management
Group IV - Personnel, Administration and Computer
Group V - Benefits Review, Tax and Legal
Group VI - Law Enforcement and Investigation

College seniors who are eligible for the Quality Graduate Program meet one of the following criteria:
1. Have a 3.45 cumulative GPA, or
2. Rank in the upper 10% of the graduating class or major college subdivision (Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Health and Human Development, Office of Personnel Management, etc.).
If you meet these academic standards, simply submit a cover letter, resume, and proof (transcript) that you meet the Quality Graduate criteria to any position/agency in which you are interested.

NOTE: Positions in the sciences and engineering are not covered by this program.

For those students interested in administrative positions covered under ACWA, but who do not meet the GPA requirement, the Federal Government is currently reviewing each of the positions to determine ways of examining for them. The two ways under consideration are (a) review of education and experience via resume, and (b) testing. As of this writing, decisions have not been finalized. Our recommendation to these students would be to follow the process defined in #1 (Federal Job Opportunities List).
Applying for Positions Unique to Specific Federal Agencies
Certain federal agencies handle their own recruitment and hiring process for positions unique to their agency. If you want more information about career fields that are filled from examinations handled by specific federal agencies, you will need to write to the agency directly. Examples of career fields and agencies covered under this category include:
- Bank Examiner, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Correctional Officer, Federal Prison System
- Aerospace Technologist, NASA Headquarters
- Dietitian, Veterans Administration
- Psychologist, Department of Justice
Application to Independent Federal Agencies
Certain agencies are not required to use the regular Civil Service system and thus fill their positions through their own hiring systems. If you are interested in a job with one of these agencies, you should contact the organization directly:
- Central Intelligence Agency
- National Security Agency
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- Federal Reserve System, Board of Governors
- U.S. Department of State
- General Accounting Office

Application Materials
If you already have a resume, and it does not include all of the following, you may attach a separate sheet of paper with the additional information:

The title and announcement number of the job you are applying for, Office Personnel Management (OPM) will only accept applications for jobs currently open on the Federal Job Opportunity List.
Your full name, mailing address, and your home and work telephone numbers.
Your Social Security number.
For any education or training you have:
1. Name, city and state of school.
2. Type of degree or certificate (if any).
3. Subject of degree.
4. Year and month of degree, certificate or diploma.
For any employment, military or volunteer experience you have:
1. Organization or company you worked for, and its mailing address.
2. Your job title.
3. Month and year of the beginning and end of your employment.
4. Number of hours per week you worked, if other than full-time (40 hours/week).
5. Your job series and grade (if you were a federal employee).
Your specific duties and responsibilities. Do not assume your job title is self-explanatory.
Any licenses or certificates you have that are relevant to the job, such as a driver’s license, professional engineer’s certification, etc., as well as the state or other authority that issued the license or certificate.
Any skills you have (including language skills) and how you acquired them. For example, you might state that you can speak Spanish after having taken 16 semester hours in college courses in that language. Be specific when describing skills. For example, if you can type tell how many words per minute.
Your date of birth, if you are applying for a federal job with an age restriction. Any restrictions will be listed on the Federal Job Opportunity List.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has developed a number of new initiatives for the public to obtain federal job information.

Touchscreen computer system which provides nationwide federal job information at the touch of a finger. This system is currently in the major Federal Employment Information Centers. They are expected to be in all Centers within the year.
The Career America Connection allows anyone interested in federal career opportunities to call (912) 757-3000 to receive information about current federal vacancies, the federal hiring process, or obtain federal application materials. This service is available nationwide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to both rotary and touchtone callers.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)-Philly Bulletin Board System (BBS) allows computer users to call (215) 580-2216 to obtain information about Federal nationwide job announcements, Federal pay information, and a host of other information. Callers may also request application packages while on-line. This service is available nationwide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Federal Job Opportunities Board (FJOB) BBS allows computer users to call (912) 757-3100 to obtain Federal nationwide job opportunities. This service is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

State Government
There are a number of avenues through which you can find positions within the State Government. To use Pennsylvania as an example, you can apply for State positions by doing the following:

For State Civil Service openings:

Review the monthly “Summary of Civil Service Examinations” which lists the positions currently open. Most of the positions are in State Government, but there are also many local government positions filled through the State. This Summary can be found in the Career Resource Library, 103 Slep.
After you determine job listings that may be of interest to you, review the Examination announcements for these positions. The Announcements describe the work involved, as well as the qualifications, salary, and type of testing required. From these announcements you can determine whether or not you are interested and qualified. If you do not meet the requirements, you will not be considered. You can find the announcements at the Job Center, 1101 Green Avenue, Altoona.
Complete an application in accordance with the procedures described on the announcement and mail in the envelope which is provided. Application forms are available at the Job Center, 1101 Green Avenue. Each Examination Announcement requires a separate application.
Written and performance examinations are given weekdays at Commission Offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. To take a test during the week, send your application to the Commission Office where you would like to be tested. Test centers are also located in: Allentown, Altoona, Clearfield, Coudersport, DuBois, Erie, Harrisburg, Johnstown, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport. These centers are open for testing purposes only on selected Saturdays. Indicate your choice of testing center on your application and send it to the central office in Harrisburg.
Applicants for testing will be notified of the date, time, and location of the test approximately 7-10 days prior to the examination.
Written tests will contain questions related to required knowledge, skills, and abilities for each job classification.
Within a few weeks of the examination, you will be notified of your score and ranking or that you did not meet the minimum qualifications. If your score is competitive, you will be contacted by appropriate agencies as vacancies occur. Appointees must serve a probationary period during which their work will be evaluated and rated. Those who successfully complete the probationary period receive regular civil service status.

For State non-civil service positions, you can apply in one of two ways. You can request an application from the Division of State Employment or contact agencies in which you are interested to see what positions are available and to receive an application. Because there is no job listing available, it is necessary for you to research State agencies and departments to learn about job opportunities.

Finally, if you are interested in working within the legislative or judicial branch of State Government, your job search will require personal contact. For the legislative branch, personal staff positions are acquired through word-of-mouth (networking) and by contacting a state legislator or his/her staff members. If you are interested in seeking a job on a state legislator’s staff, you may consult the volume entitled State Elected Officials and the Legislatures. If you are interested in working for a legislative agency or standing committee of the State House or Senate, consult the volume entitled State Legislative Leadership, Committees, and Staff. Within the judicial arena, many of the position openings are announced through county or city personnel offices. Your best approach, again, is to contact individuals through referrals and informational interviews, and leave copies of your resume. Two resources on the State courts are Want’s Federal-State Court Directory and the Directory of State Court Clerks and County Courthouses. These resources should be available at public or university libraries.

Local Government
Local governments perform the street-level work necessary to keep communities functioning. They provide service delivery to specific neighborhoods: fire and police protection, health, education, sanitation, maintenance, and parks and recreation.

The best local government opportunities will be found in larger, more diverse, and financially healthy units of government. These consist of large urban county governments, municipalities with populations over 100,000, and large school districts. Because local governments perform numerous functions similar to what may be found in large organizations in the private sector, you may find such job opportunities: accountants, computer programmers, engineers, planners, employment specialists, architects, museum workers, and mid-level managers.

There appears to be no single strategy for finding a local government position. In Philadelphia, for example, you can go to an Application Center to look at job listings, apply for positions, and if qualified take a City Civil Service test. If you pass, your name will be added to a list of eligible candidates and stays there for up to two years unless you are hired. County government positions in the Philadelphia area most likely require you to take a State Civil Service exam. In smaller municipalities, some county government positions will require the State Civil Service exam while others require your completing a standard application. Positions in city/borough/township government offices often have standard applications for interested individuals to complete.

Research is the key to a successful job search campaign in local government. Locate the agencies and departments in which you are interested and contact them to learn about the application procedures. Network as well; doing this can give you more information about the local hiring culture as well as names of people who have the power to hire. One of the best sources of information to begin with is the telephone book for the area in which you are interested. The blue pages contain information on the municipal and county government agencies for that area. A local public library should also have information on file.

Organizations on the Periphery
Many organizations are not part of the federal or state government system but work very closely with these governments in the public arena. These organizations range from nonprofit foundations and charitable organizations to lobbyists, professional associations, and consulting firms. They may represent social or political groups, provide contractual services to government agencies, promote social programs, attempt to influence public policy, perform public functions, or promote political candidates. Some private organizations have government affairs offices that monitor legislative activities and the effects those activities may have on the organization. In effect, these peripheral organizations, while not part of the government system, are engaged in very public activities.

FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS

Trade and Professional Organizations
Nonprofit Organizations
Research Organizations
Law Firms
International Organizations and Groups
Lobbying and Law Groups
Contracting and Consulting Firm

These organizations tend to be located in and around Washington, DC or the state capitals where they would have access to legislative and governmental offices. Many organizations are small, but offer quite extensive job responsibilities. As a job seeker, your job search will entail a great deal of networking and cold calling. Few of these organizations offer life-long opportunities because of their small size.

Some suggested reference materials to identify these organizations include:

The Encyclopedia of Associations
The Directory of National Trade and Professional Associations in the United States
The Consultants and Consulting Organizations Directory
The Foundation Directory
Research Centers Directory

Capitol Hill
Compared to the number of employees of the federal government, the number of people employed on Capitol Hill is relatively small. Still, though, Capitol Hill offers a variety of exciting opportunities in assisting senators and representatives in researching and writing bills, answering constituent inquiries, and offering advice (based on extensive research) to these legislators on issues currently facing Congress. Also, because the working conditions are often stressful and fast paced, turnover hovers around 40% annually.

Opportunities on the Hill can be found in legislative agencies such as the General Accounting Office and the Library of Congress, on personal staffs of members of congress, and in the judicial system. The job search for each of these areas differs, though each relies heavily on networking and “pounding the pavement.”

Legislative agencies provide information for decision making and dissemination purposes, and monitor actions of executive agencies. These agencies generally follow recruitment procedures similar to those of executive agencies with position announcements, application forms, testing, eligibility lists, etc. The legislative branch, though, operates under its own rules, classifications, and salaries. As each legislative agency recruits its own personnel, you will need to contact each agency to learn about its particular selection procedures.

Congressional offices, committees, and subcommittees offer hundreds of opportunities. In fact, there are 535 federal congressional staffs and over 300 committees and subcommittees. Personal congressional staffs offer opportunities both in Washington and in home districts. While not on “the Hill,” there are similar opportunities in state congressional offices, committees and subcommittees (see section on state government). The following is a typical hierarchy of personal staff positions:

Member
Administrative Assistant

Administrative Staff
1. Washington
    Office Manager
    Scheduler
    Personal Secretary
    Clerk Typist
2. Home District
    District Office
    Representative
    Receptionist

Constituent Services
    Case Worker
    Grants Specialist
    Mobile Office
    Operator

Legislative Staff
    Chief Legislative Aide
    Legislative Assistant
    Researcher

Computer Services
Computer Operator
Legislative Correspondent

Other Staff
    Press Secretary
    Special Projects
    Interns

Krannich, R.L. & Krannich, C.R. (1990). The Complete Guide to Public Employment

For the various standing, select, joint, and ad hoc committees, staffs conduct research, write reports, and draft legislation for committee members. Positions on these staffs usually are for subject matter experts or for those persons with experience on the Hill. These positions tend to pay better than personal staff positions.

If you are interested in working in congressional and committee offices, the job search is much less structured. It will involve knocking on doors, making personal contacts, networking and a great deal of persistence and luck. Competition is fierce. Often the best time for a job search is immediately following an election, but personal contact will be important, as you will be competing with all those individuals who lost their positions due to the election.

Both the House and the Senate have placement offices:

Senate Placement Office

Room 142B — Hart Senate Building

Washington, DC 20150

(202)224-9167

House Placement Office

House Annex #2, Room H2-219

Washington, DC 20150

(202)226-6731

Two other agencies also provide assistance:

Democratic Study Group Job Referral Service

H2-291 House Office Bldg., Annex 2

Washington, DC 20150

(202)225-5858

Republican Study Committee

433 Cannon House Office Bldg.

Washington, DC 20150

(202)225-0587

A good resource for the Hill job seeker:

     Capitol Hill: An Insider’s Guide to Finding a Job in Congress

The Judiciary offers fewer opportunities in the Washington, DC area but quite a few across the U.S. Most positions are for legal specialists and administrative support staff and require formal legal training, law degrees, and bar certification. Most job vacancies tend to be announced through word-of-mouth.

Two good resources for a job seeker are:
     Want’s Federal-State Court Directory
     Directory of State Court Clerks and County Courthouses

Conclusion
“Working for the Government” has quite a few different meanings as shown in this document. If you are considering this sector of the work world, your job search will entail research into the various options available to you. Combine formal and informal job search activities to conduct the best job search for this field.

Additional Resources These books can be found in most public or university libraries:

Adzigan, D.A. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organizations. (Bi-annual). Detroit: Gale Research Company.

Cahill, N. Federal Executive Directory (Bimonthly). Washington: Carroll Publishing Co.

Cook, B.K. Federal Yellow Book (Quarterly). Washington: The Washington Monitor, Inc.

Council of State Governments (Iron Works Pike, P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578)

The Book of States

National Organization of State Government Officials

State Administrative Officials Classified by Function

State Elected Officials and Legislatures

State Legislative Leadership, Committees, and Staff

State Government News (monthly magazine)

State Government (quarterly journal)

State Government Research Checklist

Green, P. (Ed.) State Executive Directory (Triennial). Washington: Carroll Publishing Co.

Lukoski, S. and Grayson C.T. (1990). State Information Book. Washington: Potomac Books, Inc.

McLean J. (ed.) Consultants and Consulting Organizations Directory. Detroit: Gale Research Company.

Scheiber, J. (ed.) Congressional Yellow Book (Annual). Washington: The Washington Monitor, Inc.

Watkins, M.M. (ed.) Research Centers Directory. Detroit: Gale Research Company.

The National Directory of State Agencies (Information Resource Press).

Copyright © 2005-2008, Penn State Altoona, Office of Career Services
, Director, 126 Slep Student Center
3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, PA 16601
Phone: (814) 949-5058
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