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Brandeis University's Community Newspaper — Waltham, Mass.

Hiatt Career Corner: Want to work for the government? Start building your career now!

Published: January 23, 2009
Section: Opinions


If you are looking for an employment path with significant responsibility early in your career, access to the latest technologies, variety and enormous potential for growth, consider a career in government service. The United States Government is one of the most innovative and exciting employers today for U.S. citizens who want to make a global difference through their work.

Government agencies and departments have opportunities available now and are ramping up for increased hiring in all areas. They are actively seeking the brightest, most diverse workforce possible to lead the country’s domestic and overseas initiatives and services into the decades ahead. Who better to fill those roles than Brandeis students?

Some Brandeisians are already building their federal careers. Many students are familiar with the State Department’s Foreign Service branch and its activities overseas. Alysha Bedig’s ’09 interests took her to Cairo, Egypt, last summer – supported by Hiatt’s WOW Internship funding – where she played an integral role in the daily operations of the American embassy through State’s Internship Abroad program.

Michael Shoretz ’09, another WOW recipient, spent his summer in the heart of federal politics as an aide in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Eliot Engel, gaining experience in the lawmaking process as well as an inside view of issue-based legislative action, in this case, health care.

Consider all that government work has to offer. In addition to diplomats and congressional figures, the federal government also hires analysts, archivists, computer scientists, economists, language specialists, law enforcement personnel, mathematicians, project managers, scientists, security personnel, and writers, to name only a few. Federal positions are not just for government or political science majors. Students with academic and experiential backgrounds in a wide range of majors and fields are encouraged to apply. There are ample opportunities for advancement, collaboration, and often travel in these diverse areas of employment.

The government’s website – www.USA.gov – provides agency and department structure, job postings, internships, and employment requirements. Start at the main page to view information on the breadth of federal work. “History, Arts, and Culture,” for example, links to federal museums and libraries and “Science and Technology” connects to scientific and technical agency websites such as the Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, National Institute of Health, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The “Jobs and Education” section contains a wealth of career information, including USAJobs job and internship listings (all listings plus the link to StudentJobs.gov). Invaluable additional resources can be found at The Partnership for Public Service website for students: http://www.makingthedifference.org/index.shtml. At http://www.makingthedifference.org/federalinternships/directory you will find a searchable database of federal internships. Check the Hiatt NACELink calendar soon for information on a series of lunch-time chats with government agency representatives coming in February!

Despite their disparate specializations, U.S. government employees are united by their call to serve – a commitment to providing the nation and its citizens, no matter where they are in the world, the best of their talents and skills. If you have a call to serve, are eager to tackle critical world issues, desire entry level work with substantive responsibilities, seek rapid advancement, appreciate a work environment that values diversity, and are intrigued by contributing to the shape of the global future, consider the federal government.

Expand your horizons, start your search today!