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Return to Article: New campaign targets college students for federal jobs

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  I've been laid off from my civilian job and I kick myself today for not working for the government when I got out of the Air Force, which would've been 27 years. I have worked in the civilian job and my last employer is a good example of "age discrimination" - but, after being laid off for almost two months now, I've been trying and trying to get a job with the feds and I know I am qualified to do the jobs that I have been applying for (the number of federal jobs I've applied for number over 300 to this day) and I have been rejected because someone else was more qualified or I did not fall in the group of highest candidates. I believe it's my age (55 years) and also since I'm not already working for the government that's two strikes against me. Yes, I'm a veteran, but 5 points doesn't seem to help although my scores go over 100 with the extra 5 points in some cases, but as you can see, I am writing this email so I did not get the job. I think when they see that date of birth, everything else goes blank and they cannot see anything else so we get set aside and they tell us we didn't qualify. I can do the work and I am a very hard worker giving my 90% plus for the good of the company. My last civy employer did not appreciate my efforts (oh yes, she used me to the tee, but did not appreciate me - no raise in over three years). I can recall many years ago when I was first out in the work force, trying to get a job but was told "no experience", I finally had enough (didn't have the brains to keep my mouth shut) and told them "how can I get experience if no one will let me even try?"

  Lil Meals Posted November 1, 2007 8:10 PM
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  I beleive that we need to attract younder people into federal positions but landing one is quite difficult since the first priority goes to a vet. This is the case at Camp Lejeune where the work is aging but not young person who is a vet is hired.

  Kathy Posted September 18, 2007 12:55 PM
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  I think this is a wonderful idea. We all know that government programs are from the 30s and 40s and have been underfunded, poorly staffed and underperforming. But why just younger people? What about older people many who would have loved to see things like schools, neighborhoods and public services do a better job? Government service should attract social reformers and those not afraid to speak out against the waste, underfunding. This country needs a large public training program to heal the underclass and disenfranchised. The GI bill after WW11 lifted so many people into middle class but these ranks are thinning and that talent needs to be replaced.

  Patricia Navadomskis Posted January 11, 2007 11:03 AM
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  My advice to college students considering federal employment is to research the position you wish to apply for very carefully! For example, if you want to work as a criminal investigator, you can apply to many different agencies. If you apply to ATF, FBI, DEA, IRS, and numerous other agencies, you can see where you will be, salary wise, within five years, as well as your prospects for further advancement. If you apply to ICE, however, with the proposed MaxHR paybanding system, you will have no idea where you may be in five years, since the proposed pay bands haven't been published yet, and there are no guarantees that you'll even be at the same salary level as someone who starts at the same time as you, but at another agency still under the General Schedule. Once again, be very careful, and look before you leap!

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 31, 2006 3:07 PM
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  To the last poster, who remarked about young, beautiful women in the federal service should get their law degree. Yes, I might add that I was sexually harassed and put down almost every day I worked there by bosses and male coworkers at the Navy. Before that, as a contractor, I was sexually harassed by program managers that worked on the government side. What I didn't say in my previous posts was that my refusal to submit to it was definitely a factor in my eventual career downfall in the government. Just something for young women to think about -- it's still a boys' club at the Defense Department.

  Dis-gruntled.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 28, 2006 8:59 AM
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  If you're a young, beautiful, well-off intelligent single female, don't go into government service without a law degree. The environment has too many insecure predatory males who are not held accountable and who will work to hold back women that don't let them have their way and/or out of plain jealousy. So, yes, it can be a great career. But young women, get your law degree so that you can have the career that you're entitled to, and keep the "government male predator" out of your way!

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 27, 2006 10:15 AM
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  Be sure to tell the new recruits all about A-76 visiting a locale near them. Tell them how the job they're applying for is already slated to be contracted out. Tell them how they will be able to look forward to being jerked around by the arbitrary whims of Congress and used as pawns by presidents. And, don't forget to throw in that they may well need to cope with the upcoming train-wreck of NSPS and MAX-HR (or some variation of either). What's that? What do you mean that telling them these things will discourage them?

  DSR

  David Posted July 26, 2006 12:02 PM
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  Government jobs could be very rewarding and effective if it were not for the total incompetence of those in management positions. It is the terrible management that leads to a poor work environmental and not the nature of the job itself. I advise no one to go to work for the government! You will be told of the great job that awaits you and then you will be forced to do stupid things under stupid rules that make the job undoable and a bad experience! Go to work in the private sector and make some real money. Work for years and then when you get to be about 50 or 55 go to work for the government.

  Bet you will never go to the government!

  Taxpayer Posted July 26, 2006 7:51 AM
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  I did not mind being a federal employee. The benefits and protection were far superior to what one could expect in the private sector. There were interesting aspects of my job that typically only people in public service got to do. I worked for the feds for 16 years and was looking forward to a few more years before retirement, but unfortunately had to leave due to a constructive dismissal by my management. Working for the feds is not a bad deal. It's the bosses I had to report to that made the job unbearable.

  At the agency I reported to, those who were in the "in crowd" never faced any snafus in getting hired, promoted and being given the kinds of assignments that lead to upward mobility. The rest of us had to fight the indifference and incompetence of management and the personnel office on a daily basis. Just a few things for government recruitment targets to think about.

  Dis-gruntled

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 25, 2006 10:28 AM
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  Well I'm one of the lucky ones: 32 years, 55 and under CSRS, I really can't imagine why any fresh college student would want to work for the government. With the way things are getting further screwed up, they wouldn't last the 30 years. Besides by then the government will once again change the retirement system to give less in those golden years.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 24, 2006 5:40 PM
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  I especially enjoyed the part about the campaign hoping to change "... students' perception of government as too bureaucratic."

  Cracked & Wired Posted July 24, 2006 11:10 AM
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  There are and have been some good things done by the government, and at one time I was proud to work here. But I spend more and more of my time trying to dodge the ever increasing piles of administrative requirements that are given us while our resources to accomplish both the administrative work, and the real work for the people, are taken away.

  The goal of politicians for some time has apparently been to cripple the civil service. They've succeeded. So I wouldn't wish working here on anyone. And, God help me, part of my job is to recruit.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 21, 2006 12:58 PM
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  It is great to see a strong effort on the part of OPM to advertise the diversity of positions available in the federal government for college graduates to consider. However, the problem is not just the front end announcement of the opportunities -- the problem is more on the back end, the application process. Even if you get a college student interested in a position, most give up in their attempt to submit an application. It is not easy to understand all the "requirements" associated with submitting an application, the vacancy announcements are written in government terms and, face it, it is a slow process, not what most students are used to in private sector job applications. Federal agencies have to fix the back end process. And if you turn up the volume on jobs to encourage large numbers of applicants, be ready for the fallout when those same students become frustrated with the application process. Word travels fast.

  GovExec.com reader Posted July 21, 2006 10:39 AM
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  I will be eligible to retire in two years. My entire career has been with the federal government. I love my job. There is nothing else I would rather do. This is been passed on to my children who are 24, 22 and 19. Our 24-year-old son, with a degree in business management, applied for a job with our agency three years ago. He drove three hours to a location where he could take the entrance test. He passed with no problems. Each year thereafter he was contacted to ask if he wanted to remain on the register for a position. Of course, he did. Well, finally a vacancy announcement came out where many in that position would be hired. He was contacted and told that since it had been so long, he would need to go retake the test if he wished to be considered. Of course, he refused to do that.

  This is the problem with the federal jobs. There are good candidates out there who would be excellent employees. However, the process is so outrageous that they do not want to wait around three or four years and then have to reapply for everything. I am so frustrated and angry. My 22-year-old daughter has also applied for a position with the government. I'm afraid she'll become just as disoriented as our son.

  So my point is: Why are we working so hard to recruit college students when there are so many out there trying to get in, but can't get through the maze???

  Betty Small Posted July 21, 2006 10:00 AM
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  This sounds more like an effort to distribute propaganda than to inform college students about federal employment. To attempt to de-emphasize concerns about the bureaucracy involved with the federal workplace is ridiculous. Do these people think that college students don't watch TV and use the Internet? Just because they ask a question at a work fair doesn't mean that they want to become federal workers.

  Instead of trying to spin the problems with federal employment, how about fixing the problems with federal employment?

  Robert M Posted July 21, 2006 8:04 AM