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Is anyone familiar with government jobs? What is the difference between working on the Federal, State, and Local level? Can you work out of State for an out-of-state government? How do you find government jobs (any particular websites)? Is it more difficult, easier, or the same difficult as landing a private sector position? Is employment decisions strictly based on civil service exams, or does the hiring manger have leeway who he wants to hire? How long does it generally take from application until employment (if successful)? Is it still true job security is better? Lower pay but better benefits? How else is it different than private sector jobs?
Local gvmt: You will only be hired with politics and protektzia. When the wind blows the cradle rocks and out you go.
State gvmt: Unless you work in Indiana which is in the black financially, your job might only last until June 30 of the year.
Federal gvmt: Life time position with great benefits. They are therefore VERY picky. No pull or protektzia will help you.
The Federal government takes approx 2 months from application until interview. Another month until hire. THEN…..Another 2-3 months for a background check, since you have access to sensitive information. Some positions might let you start right away while doing the check. If the check fails, you are escorted out by security.
Decisions are VERY regulated with almost ZERO deviations from a rigid formula. Plus, veterans and former employees take precedence over new applicants.
2) What is the difference between working on the Federal, State, and Local level? a) The funding comes from different sources, which can make you more or less vulnerable depending on which area is belt-tightening. b) Different requirements. Many city jobs have a residency requirement.
4) How do you find government jobs (any particular websites)? There are different websites for different agencies. This is true for all levels of government.
5) Is it more difficult, easier, or the same difficult as landing a private sector position? It depends on the position and the timing. Public sector jobs sometimes have hiring freezes, due to budget concerns. Some public sector jobs may have waiting lists of years.
6) Is employment decisions strictly based on civil service exams, or does the hiring manger have leeway who he wants to hire? Some jobs may not require a civil service exam.
7) How long does it generally take from application until employment (if successful)? I personally know of cases where it was a month or two. In some cases in can be a couple of years before you get a call.
10) How else is it different than private sector jobs? There are usually many more rules, regulations and procedures that need to be followed in public sector jobs. This may include buying from specific vendors (woman or minority owned), legally mandated bidding processes and time periods, legal requirements about posting job openings, etc. Unions are much more prevalent in government jobs. The stereotype of lazy government workers is usually not true, but lazy and incompetent workers are often shielded more than they would be in private industry.
http://www.usajobs.gov/ is the official federal jobs web site. Because the right wingers have for the past generation attempted to make it look like the federal government was not expanding, many things the federal government used to do are now done by contractors even though it usually costs more. (I used to work for the contractors!) Therefore, many jobs require “status” which usually means you are already a federal government employee or have been laid off.
Almost all jobs with the federal government require US Citizenship. Jobs that involve national security information require a security clearance which is almost impossible to get if you have any family members living in countries deemed hostile to the US.
One more thing about government jobs: Don’t miss the deadline, and don’t expect to be able to change the information you submit after you apply. Chris Christie doesn’t realize that The Rules apply to everyone.
I can only try,
Public school teachers usually make more than teachers in independent or religious schools, but *principals* in private schools can make much, much, more than in public schools. (That may be why we have so many Jewish schools — a principal of a Jewish day school with a few hundred students often makes double the salary of a public high school principal who has thousands of students, so there is an incentive for people to start more schools!)
I am a federal employee. Here is info you need to know:
1. Local: The jobs are generally lower paying than feds, and you generally have little to no room to move. The benefits, if given, are generally on the lower end of the spectrum. You are also subjected to stuff like furloughs, layoffs, and other job actions. A local gov’t job is NOT a lifetime position.
2. State: Better pay, better chance for promotion, better benefits than local. However, you are still subjected to furlough days, and other job actions. You could potentially stay in a state job for the long term.
3. Federal: Best of the three in benefits, pay, and ability to move around and up. Likely a lifetime position, especially when your retirement is vested. Very low chance of a furlough (it happened once that the entire federal government was layed off because Congress failed to pass a budget and the continuing resolution was not extended, however, everyone got their money back in the end). If you work for the executive branch, you are virtually un-fireable. Legislative branch jobs are more at-will, meaning that you serve at the pleasure of the controlling party and their leadership. Not sure how Judicial works.
Duvdl
charliehall–
Thank you for the info, especially the fed jobs website.
What you said about schools is true; I was thinking about “black hat” yeshivas and bais yakovs. I don’t know day schools’ salary structure.
(Christie wasn’t at fault with the NJ mess, it was Schundler’s error [and his subsequent dishonesty to Christie] that caused Christie to think the correction had been made in a timely manner.)
duvdl–
Thank you for the concise and informative distinctions.
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