Between the possibility of getting a job in the Obama administration as either a political appointee or a civil servant, there is now – FINALLY – great interest and excitement among the general public about federal employment. Just in time. With baby boomers retiring (while some are staying to save up for all that they have lost recently in retirement), the ...

Just when you got those pesky knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) statements under your belt when applying to federal government jobs, a new trend has emerged: Self-assessment questions. Also called job-specific questions, self-assessment questions are found in increasing numbers of government agencies' applications. They will be new to some federal job seekers, but don't be put off. These questions are intended ...

Federal law establishes the schedule of public holidays for Federal employees, but it does not do so each year. In fact, federal holidays are planned a long time in advance. The Office of Personnel Management recently released a document which revealed all of the holidays for Federal government employees - until 2020! Please note that this schedule has been designed to ...

Thanks to the stimulus package, many sectors of government are seeing a huge boost in job creation. On the other hand, some departments are having massive layoffs. Straight from the headlines to you, an index of sectors and areas that are hiring, and a list of states and departments that are laying people off. Nobody, not even the Administration, is able ...

Back-to-back snow storms in the Washington, DC area have knocked out the federal government for a record fourth day in a row. The Office of Personnel Management estimates the loss of productivity to be $100 million a day, which many consider a necessary cost to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands federal, state, and local government employees in the area. ...

Does your career need to be rescued? Do you need a job? Your resume can get you rescued if it’s outstanding, sizzling, targeted, interesting and friendly! How can you create this great resume? Target the resume. Find your announcement that is of interest and analyze 5 to 10 keywords in the announcement. Add these words in your resume. Let’s say you ...

You're interested in working for the US government, but you're not exactly sure what to do first. Maybe you're having difficulty figuring out what type of government job would best match the skills that you have. What are the major branches of the Government? How many jobs are available? What agencies will be hiring rapidly over the next few years? Find ...

Employees of the government know that the process for determining next year's pay rate schedule is a complicated one. Employees of the government also know that the rate of salary increase fluctuates from year to year. It is impossible to predict the 2009 pay raises with 100% certainty. Nonetheless, it is very possible to make an educated guess about what pay ...

When you start, search for all jobs, because many job titles are different in government. In addition to searching Monster for jobs, search the government's official jobs Web site, USAJOBS. You'll learn where the jobs are, the agencies that are hiring, the salaries they pay, the duties of the job and the job titles. Spend some time to find jobs you're ...

Here's a question I see quite often on the Government Careers message board: I'm in my mid-career and am finding that my career is coming to an end because of downturns in my industry. The jobs are drying up, and my pay isn't keeping up with inflation, so I need to make a change soon. I'm thinking about working for the ...

On the Government/Public Service message board, I'm frequently asked about companies that charge access to federal job listings. This Monster member smelled a rat just in time: I read an ad and called a toll-free number about applying for government jobs. I was told there would be a registration fee and was asked to provide my credit card number or my ...

If you’ve been in the workforce long enough, the same inane questions will continue to creep up in interview after interview. What is your greatest weakness? Where do you see yourself in five years? You know, the small-talk questions that fill up just enough time between the really important questions. But all those meaningless questions actually have a purpose. That’s ...

600,000 over three years. 273,000 deemed mission-critical. That's how many people the Partnership for Public Service projects the federal government will need to hire by 2012 to fill growing needs as well as replacing a baby-boomer workforce set to retire. These numbers and other hiring projections are listed just in time for some Labor Day reading in the third edition of ...

Did you know that by 2016, one-third (33.5 percent) of the total US workforce will be age 50 or older? In the government sector, this statistic is actually even higher; in fact, 44 percent of the current Government workforce will be eligible for retirement within the next five years. The AARP's 'Best Employers for Workers Over 50' is an annual program ...

Finding a new government job is not going to get any easier until the Administrative Transition has taken place. Even then, we should not expect a new dawn to sweet away America's difficult economic situation on January 1st, 2009. These things take time. Want my advice? Don't wait with your fingers crossed. Stay laser-focused on your job search now, and keep ...

Most job seekers already know the importance of networking. Whether from formal professional networking groups or casual friend-of-a-friend connections, 60 percent will find a job through networking. Other savvy professionals use their networks for finding answers, advice or leads. Whatever you're trying to do, there are some simple steps you can take to get the most out of Monster Networking. Be ...

You’ve submitted your application and made the list of best qualified candidates -- now you’ve landed an interview for a federal job. Think the most important part of the application process is over? Think again. Federal hiring managers do not merely conduct employment interviews; they rely heavily on them to identify the best candidate. So how can you best prepare for ...

When starting your search for a federal government job, it is important to realize that using USAJOBS to your advantage is not merely an option, it is a necessity. Even job seekers who have networked with federal managers or have completed a government internship are required to go through the process. While some agencies have started working outside the USAJOBS portal, ...

Are you considering transitioning from business to government? According to government human resource professionals, you'll need to watch where you step. A recent survey of senior public-sector HR executives conducted by us - Peter Daly and Michael Watkins, coauthors of The First 90 Days in Government: Critical Success Strategies for New Public Leaders at all Levels - found that in contrast ...

Losing your job is an overwhelming feeling, no matter when it happens. GovCentral has scoured the web to help connect you with benefits you have already earned. Here are four simple steps to get you through the first days and jumpstart your government job search. (Parts of this article sourced from *"CareerOneStop":http://www.careeronestop.org* is a U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored Web site that ...