GovernmentExecutive.com

There is a high level of interest in federal jobs among college students, but they don't know enough about specific opportunities and agencies to pursue them, a new study has found.

Forty-two percent of college juniors and seniors surveyed by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit organization devoted to attracting young people to government service, said they were extremely or very interested in working for the federal government.

Interest in federal service was nearly as high as that for large private companies (49 percent) and small private companies (45 percent). And government work edged out nonprofit jobs (40 percent), arguably the sector in the most direct competition for employees.

But only 13 of the almost 3,000 students surveyed said they felt extremely or very knowledgeable about federal jobs.

Speaking at a panel discussion sponsored by the partnership, George Washington University student Megan Hanley said she visited USAJOBS.gov, the central federal jobs portal, frequently in her job search, but accepted a position with Teach for America instead.

"I didn't know what kind of jobs myself, as an entry-level [employee] ... [could] do," Hanley said. "It was just different for me because Teach for America came to me."

Teach for America called Hanley and recruited her in person, she said, and USAJOBS.gov had too many listings to wade through. She said the 45-day wait for an answer was too long as well.

The survey, which included students from The George Washington University, Clark Atlanta University, Louisiana State University, The Ohio State University, Stanford University and the University of New Mexico, was the basis for a report from the Partnership titled "Back to School: Rethinking Federal Recruiting on College Campuses."

The report recommended that agencies develop ongoing relationships with university faculty members who can suggest jobs to their students, and educate students about the practical advantages of federal jobs, including generous benefits.

"The JFK message of 'ask not' is not good enough for this generation," said Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service. "What you really need is something that offers up the opportunity for doing good, but also doing well."

The Partnership also stressed the need to emphasize human interaction in the recruitment process, rather than rely solely on Internet job sites like USAJOBS.

"High touch is as important as high tech," the report stated. "Although most students use the Internet to find detailed information once their interest is piqued, the most effective recruiting efforts come from people with whom the students can relate: parents, friends, professors and advisers."

The report comes a day after the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees recruitment efforts for the government as a whole, launched its first television campaign to boost job applications.

COMMENTS

• This article fails to talk about the red-type encounter in the application process of federal jobs. It may seem that the author of this article just takes all the text context of the Partnership for Public Service’s survey to write her article. It appears Ms. Rutzick did not invest much time researching to produce this article. Ms. Rutzick fails to mention about eligibilities, preferences and points given to certain applicants because her/his relation to armed forces members or veteran’s status. If only Ms. Rutzick had researched more about federal jobs, she would have found out that eligibilities, preferences, and points have a tremendous effect for qualifying an applicant for a government job. A not so well qualified applicant, who claims any eligibility or preference, can easily bump a very well qualified applicant just because his/her eligibility or preference. How often this happens? Unfortunately it happens very often. Joel Espinosa Posted January 4, 2008 10:40 AM
• When I changed from the small business corporate world to the Accounting Office, it was tough to break in, but it has been great. The salary is fine and the benefits are in line. The pressure level is a lot less and people grow up the ladder at a consistent pace. I was in marketing before and it was were cut-throat. I did have to take some online classes to freshen up on accounting at Phoenix and Randford University. It was easy and I am growing in the job. Whether you're Democrat or Republican, a government job is a great choice. Stedd Posted June 9, 2007 3:38 AM
• Years ago I applied for my first job in the civil service. Because I didn't possess a degree at the time, I applied for a Temporary GS-4 clerical position. I took off from work to take a half day long test to ensure them that I had the basic skills (they sure wanted a lot, considering that they were paying a third below market at the time). I then faced a three person firing squad (I mean, panel). They were officious and downright rude, asking me questions like, “If you like your (present job) so much, why are you seeking employment here?” I did get in, and that was probably the high point of my civil service career. The other high point was 17 years later (and two years ago) when I had just finished night school, became an engineer, and then was forced out of this agency because I wouldn't accept a two grade demotion to be reclassified as an engineer. So nothing had changed in all that time. Advice to young students: Please go where your talents will be appreciated and where you will realize your investment in school. Dis-gruntled. GovExec.com reader Posted May 11, 2006 1:17 PM