One Day, One Job » government

Council of State Governments

Willy Franzen — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:44:41 +0000

A lot of people overlook the importance of state and local governments. They get all excited about federal elections, but overlook the elections that are closer to home. I’m sure there are a lot of reasons for this, but I’d generally like to start seeing states taking back some power from Washington (though the thought of the State of Illinois having more power scares me to no end). Anyway, states have a huge advantage in governing in that they have 49 peers (more if you include territories, foreign provinces, etc.) who are dealing with similar issues. State governments can work together, share ideas, and benefit from each other’s experiences. A lot of that is done through the Council of State Governments, which is a nonpartisan non-profit organization that “fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy.” They’re headquartered in Lexington, KY (with multiple other offices), and they work in all three branches of state governments.

Sharing Capitol Ideas

Much of what the Council of State Governments does is done through region-based forums that bring together state officials to give them “opportunities to network, develop leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships.” A state governor always acts as the organization’s President, and a member of a state legislature always act as chairman. CSG’s programming is split into three key areas: Leadership Programs, Policy Programs, and Innovations. The best way to get a better understanding of what is going on at CSG is probably to read their Capitol Ideas Magazine. If you find yourself reading for a while, you may want to take a look at the Council of State Governments’ Career opportunities. Right now they have a few opportunities that might be suitable for a new or recent grad including:

Project Assistant – Just Reentry (New York, NY)
Project Associate – Justice Reentry (New York, NY or Bethesda, MD)
Project Assistant – Justice Reinvestment (Seattle, WA)
Logistics Assistant – Justice Center (Bethesda, MD)

Hopefully one of these opportunities will be a good fit for you. There are also offices in Sacramento, CA; Atlanta, GA; and Lombard, IL; so watch out for future opportunities in those locations.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you get excited about state elections?

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Willy Franzen — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:01:25 +0000

Columbus Day isn’t much of a holiday anymore–it’s become yet another regular work and school day for many. It makes sense considering Christopher Columbus wasn’t really the guy that my 1st grade teacher taught me that he was. Still, I’m amazed by the feats of guys like Columbus (which is why I’ve written about Garmin and Facet Technology on past Columbus Days). Getting in a boat with an uncertain route to a far away destination still seems crazy to me, and these guys did it in a time when navigation equipment was quite basic. Their minds would be blown if they knew what kind of information the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency) has. The agency is headquartered in Springfield, VA and has major facilities in St. Louis, MO (I learned about them from one of my awesome interns whose boyfriend works for the NGA). They are part of the Department of Defense, and they are tasked with providing “timely, relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of national security.”

Do You Have Geospatial Intelligence?

If you want an example of what the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency does, you’re not going to get a full answer because a lot of what they do is classified. However, they have been identified as playing a “critical role” in Operation Neptune’s Spear, which was the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. The agency’s employees operate in a number of areas including aeronautical analysis, cartography, geospatial analysis, imagery analysis, marine analysis, the physical sciences, geodesy, computer and telecommunication engineering, photogrammetry, and more. The NGA website is ok, but I highly recommend that you check out Wikipedia’s entry on the agency for a really good overview of the organization’s history and what it does.

If you like what you read, then you’ll want to take a look at the NGA’s Careers page. (Remember that we’re dealing with the federal government, so this isn’t going to be simple.) First, you’ll probably want to visit the Occupations page, where you’ll see that the NGA offers the following positions:

Accountants
Aeronautical Analyst
Bathymetrist
Contract Specialist
Counterintelligence Officers
Enterprise Account Managers
Geodetic Surveyors
Geospatial Data Stewards
Geospatial Intelligence Analysts
HD Consultants
Imagery Scientists
Imagery Intelligence Analysts
Information Assurance Officers
Maritime Analysts
Open Source Analysts
Police Officers
Political Geographers
Program Management Execution Officers
Project Scientists
Recruiters
Regional Geographers
Regional Source Analysts
Scientific and Technial Program Managers
Source Strategies Analysts
Systems Engineers

You won’t see most of these positions in the NGA’s Current Opportunities, so you may be better off meeting them at one of their On-Campus Recruiting Events or by reaching out to them at recruitment@nga.mil. You may also want to read through the NGA’s Recruitment FAQs and looking at their Application Process. It’s all complicated, but that’s to be expected with one of our country’s intelligence agencies.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you amazed by what the NGA does?

International Foundation for Electoral Systems

Willy Franzen — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 13:35:18 +0000

Although the United States may not have invented democracy, but we certainly made it popular. That’s not to say that we always get it right, but we’ve built a model of government that has inspired a lot of people (the people who work within that model aren’t nearly as inspirational). Our nation went through a brutal war to achieve the system that we have in place, and now we’re watching similar processes happy in many places across the world. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems or IFES is a non-profit organization that “promotes democratic stability by providing technical assistance and applying field-based research to the electoral cycle in countries around the world to enhance citizen participation and strengthen civil societies, governance and transparency.” They’re based out of Washington, DC, but they obviously do a ton of work internationally. IFES has been around for just under 15 years, and they’ve already worked in more than 100 countries.

Wear Your IFES

Elections are the key to democracy, and running elections properly is hard. Not only are there often individuals and groups opposed to allowing the democratic process to take place, but there are also various technical challenges. Even something as simple as ensuring that everyone gets the chance to vote can be difficult, and so can prohibiting people from voting more than once. IFES has developed significant expertise in overcoming these technical challenges. They operate as a neutral third-party and focus on making elections run as smoothly as possible. If you’re interested in the work that IFES is doing, then you need to check out their Career opportunities. As much fun as their Chief of Party position sounds, it’s not entry level. However, they are looking for a Program Coordinator for Europe and Asia, and the position looks like it could be a good fit for a new or recent grad.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

About IFES

What do you know about IFES

Central Intelligence Agency

Willy Franzen — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:52:33 +0000

I was a senior in high school on September 11, 2001. We were told what had happened during our morning announcements period, and a few of who had free periods after went to the beach across the street from our school’s campus. We knew that on a clear day you could usually see the Twin Towers from there, but all we could see was a plume of smoke. We listened on the radio and heard reports of the towers falling and rumors of other attacks in the works. I was deeply affected by what happened that day, and since then I have been waiting for our country to bring Osama bin Laden to justice. Yesterday, a group of NAVY SEALs did just that under the command of the Central Intelligence Agency, which is based in Washington, DC but operates all over the world. I am extremely grateful to all of those who were involved–especially for those who risked their lives to make us safer. It’s a reminder of how important it is for our government agencies to have top talent working for them. WIthout great people working at the CIA and in our armed forces, bin Laden would still be at large.

Share Your Intelligence

The Central Intelligence Agency “was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman.” We often think of it as some super secret spy agency, and in some ways that what it is; however, there’s a lot more to the CIA. As the CIA’s About page mentions, the CIA is under the direction of the Director of Central Intelligence, and he or she is tasked with:

Collecting intelligence through human sources and by other appropriate means, except that he shall have no police, subpoena, or law enforcement powers or internal security functions;
Correlating and evaluating intelligence related to the national security and providing appropriate dissemination of such intelligence;
Providing overall direction for and coordination of the collection of national intelligence outside the United States through human sources by elements of the Intelligence Community authorized to undertake such collection and, in coordination with other departments, agencies, or elements of the United States Government which are authorized to undertake such collection, ensuring that the most effective use is made of resources and that appropriate account is taken of the risks to the United States and those involved in such collection; and
Performing such other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security as the President or the Director of National Intelligence may direct.

The operation that occurred yesterday is an example of the CIA at its best (well maybe at their true best we never even hear about it). Obviously, we can’t know most of the details of the operation, but it appears that the processes that the CIA developed over the past 10 years finally led to this accomplishment of one of the major goals of the War on Terror. If you’re inspired by this success, then maybe you should consider a Career with the CIA. They are a major entry level employer, and the Agency offers a very wide range of employment opportunities. Jobs are offered in the following areas:

Accounting, Budget & Finance
Analysis
Clandestine Service
Contracts & Acquisitions
Cyber Security
Engineering
Facilities Services
Geography & Cartography
Graphics, Multimedia, Publications & Photography
Information Management
Information Technology
Investigations
Legal Services
Library Services
Logistics Services
Medical Services
Science, Technology & Weapons
Security
Support Services
Trades and Labor

The CIA is one of the few government agencies that makes it extremely easy to browse through their job opportunities, and you can do that here. Today is a good day to be an American and a good day to think about career opportunities that will allow you to serve your country.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What secrets do you know about the CIA?

U.S. Agency for International Development

Willy Franzen — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:20:46 +0000

During my vacation I’ve been reading a number of books including President Bush’s Decision Points. I’ve enjoyed it so far, and the chapter on Afghanistan reminded me to take a look at the U.S. Agency for International Development (better known as USAID), which a reader recommended I write about a few months ago. They are “the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.” Right now they’re playing a huge role in moderating the impact of the war in Afghanistan on civilians, while they’re also heavily focused on helping those in Pakistan who have been affected by the earthquake. While USAID’s budget is less than one half of one percent of the federal budget, their impact feels much greater.

Aid for Your Job Search

The U.S. Agency for International Development advanced U.S. policy objectives in three areas: economic growth, agriculture and trade; global health; and democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance. They work all over the world with the goal of “expanding democracy and free markets while improving the lives of the citizens of the developing world.” USAID’s work is obviously extensive, so summarizing it isn’t very easy. Your best bet is to read about all of their programs here. There is an unbelievable amount of information on the USAID website, so if you’re considering a career with them, you should really spend a good amount of time learning about the ins and outs of the the agency. Then you can head over to their Careers page. There are so many different kinds of opportunities at USAID that it can get kind of confusing, but you’ll probably want to look at their Development Leadership Initiative page and their Fellows Program page. There are way too many different kinds of opportunities to list, but you should be able to find all kinds of cool options with USAID in a variety of locations. While you browse through them, I’ll be reading on the beach.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you read any good books lately?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Willy Franzen — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:40:42 +0000

I guess Labor Day isn’t such a great holiday when it’s just another day of looking for jobs. And who likes the end of summer? On past Labor Days we looked at jobs with the U.S. Department of Labor and Stetson, but today we’re going to talk about the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They are “the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.” That means that lately they’ve been the bearer of bad news, but they’re also essential to economic recovery. Without reliable statistics our policymakers can’t know what to do. Additionally, without the BLS, I wouldn’t have been able to write my Labor Economics research paper on the effect of deer hunting season on employment rates in the state of New York.

Change the Statistics

The BLS vision is pretty straightforward, and actually comes without jargon. It’s to “be premier among statistical agencies, producing impartial, timely, and accurate data relevant to the needs of our users and to the social and economic conditions of our Nation, its workers, and their families.” The BLS.gov is an amazing resource, and it’s something that you could lose yourself in for hours—if you’re the right kind of nerd (I certainly am). Their About page is very matter of fact about their hiring needs. They say that the “BLS needs economists, mathematical statisticians, and Information Technology Specialists. It also needs some administrative and financial specialists and many types of technicians and assistants. The number of vacancies is difficult to predict, but some positions are available at most times.” I’m not going to run through all of the opportunities at the BLS today (it’s Labor Day!), but you can find the process for browsing through their Jobs here. Maybe if you find the right position, you can move some of the statistics in the right direction.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How do you react to BLS statistics?

National League of Cities

Willy Franzen — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:38:28 +0000

I never thought that I’d live in a major city, yet somehow I ended up in downtown Chicago. It may not be near any trout streams, and an occasional gang fight might break out while I’m playing volleyball at the beach, but I’m actually enjoying Chicago. Cities are filled with opportunities, and with so many opportunities come quite a few challenges. Cities can attack those challenges on their own, but often it’s better if they work together. That’s why the National League of Cities exists (I wonder if there’s an American League of Cities…). They are “the country’s oldest, largest and most represented organization serving municipal governments.” They’re based in Washington, DC and they work to represent their members in a number of ways including “advocating for cities and towns, promoting cities and towns, providing programs and services, keeping leaders informed, strengthening leadership skills, recognizing municipal achievements, partnering with state leagues, and providing opportunities for involvement and networking.” It makes sense that our cities should be working together, and the National League of Cities facilitates that cooperation.

Enjoy City Life

National League of Cities’ website doesn’t seem to have a ton of basic information on the organization, but according to Wikipedia they are “a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns, and villages and represents more than 218 million Americans, including 49 state municipal leagues.” They do this with six centers: Research and Innovation; Federal Relations; Public Affairs and Member Relations; Enterprise Programs; Conferences, Education and Training; and the Institute for Youth, Education and Families. That means that they have all kinds of interesting work. If you want to get involved, you should check out the jobs at National League of Cities. Right now they have a number of jobs posted including a couple that seem suitable for new grads like Sustainability Fellow and possibly Member Relations Representative (description looks entry level, but they want more experience). Give the positions a look, and consider applying. Our cities can use your help.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What city do you live in?

Hyland Software

Willy Franzen — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:43:52 +0000

I’ve been running a business for almost three years now, and I don’t think that I have a single paper document that I couldn’t throw out tomorrow. Everything is on my computer. It may be a mess of e-mails, Word files, PDFs, and Excel sheets, but it’s all here on my hard drive (and backed up too). Luckily my company isn’t very document intensive, but plenty of businesses and organizations like banks, hospitals, and government offices are overloaded with documents. They need a way to manage them, and Hyland Software offers a software product called OnBase to do just that. The company is based in Westlake, OH, and they are in the business of content management systems (although not the kind that run websites). I got the tip on Hyland from a reader who works in Career Services, and she said that although they have a Midwest headquarters, they have taken on a West Coast attitude.

Head for Hyland

Hyland Software’s story is pretty cool, and it explains why Hyland Software has been able to maintain a unique culture for all of these years. Here it is:

Packy Hyland, Jr., visited a bank in Wisconsin one day in 1991 to learn about what kind of records management technology the bank was looking for. The bank’s president asked Packy his opinion of a competitor’s product.

“I could write it better and cheaper,” Packy told the president while the competitor looked on in shock. The president (not knowing that Packy had never written a line of computer code in his life) gave Packy two weeks to come up with what he promised – a better and cheaper solution. Packy then left the bank and went straight to the library to get some books on computer programming.

Packy delivered what he promised. It’s his gritty resolve that defines how we continue to approach our work. Some may call us stubborn and persistent, but that scrappy, smart and dedicated attitude is what drives us to succeed and keeps our clients happy.

It’s a really cool story, but it doesn’t quite explain why they have slides (ones you go down, not PowerPoint) in their office. I’ll leave it up to you guys to answer that mystery. And to do that, you’ll probably need to land a job with Hyland Software. If you head over to their Jobs site, you’ll see that their Careers branding is very different from their corporate branding. It makes sense—finance, healthcare, and government entities want boring software that does it’s job. They don’t care about slides—they may even be scared of slides. But to build boring software that works really well, you need an exciting environment to attract great people. That’s why Hyland Software’s Jobs page looks different. If you take a look at Hyland Software’s Job openings, you’ll see a number of opportunities that are appropriate for someone at the entry level. These include: Technical Writer, Junior Developer, Junior Solution Developer, Quality Assurance Associate, Technical Support Analyst, Healthcare Business Analyst, Enterprise Solution Specialist, Junior API Analyst, and a few others. Most of the positions require some sort of technical background, but there are a few options for those of you who are a little less tech savvy. You can apply for all of these positions online.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of slides in the office?

MITRE

Willy Franzen — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 12:28:19 +0000

Not many of the companies on Fast Company’s list of “The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” are non-profit, and not many non-profits generate over $1 billion in annual revenue, but MITRE fits both criteria. I know that many of you responded in our survey that you wanted to see fewer technical jobs, but I’ve also noticed that most of the non-profit jobs that we feature on weekends aren’t very technical. MITRE, which has headquarters in Bedford, MA and McLean, VA offers an exception. They are an “organization chartered to work in the public interest” through “expertise in systems engineering, information technology, operational concepts, and enterprise modernization.” They do this work through “four Federally Funded Research and Development Centers,” with one focused on the Department of Defense, one on the Federal Aviation Administration, one on the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and one for the Department of Homeland Security.

Give MITRE a Try

MITRE serves each of these groups by providing “a unique combination of broad operational knowledge and in-depth technical skills” while also developing new technology that can be transferred when appropriate. What is really astonishing about MITRE is its size. They have over 7,000 employees, and more than 65% of them hold an advanced degree. The organization is a hotbed for technical knowhow and creativity, and it’s great to know that they have thousands of talented people working to ensure the future of our country. On that note MITRE is constantly looking to hire smart people for both technical and non-technical positions. They have a very strong college recruiting program, which you can find out about here. There are nearly 400 positions posted right now on MITRE’s Jobs site, so browsing through everything may be a little tough. It maybe a little hard to sniff out which jobs are considered entry level, so you may want to reach out to Jessica Yu using MITRE’s employee directory to get your questions answered (or you can use the chat box on the Student Opportunities page during working hours).

Job categories at MITRE include: Acquisitions, Artificial Intelligence, Business Analysis & Administration, Communications, Computer Operations, Contracts/Subcontracts, Database Technology Software, Defense & Space Systems, Desktop Support, Digital/Microprocessor Hardware, Domain Operation Analyst, Economics/Business, Electromagnetic & Nuclear Effects, Facilities Engineering, Financial Analysis, General Accounting, General Systems Engineer, Graphics, Human Resources Generalist, Human Factors Engineer, Industrial Security, Information Security, Information Systems Engineer, Integrated Electronics, Legal, Multi-Disciplinary Systems Development, Networking & Distributed Systems, Physical Security, Procurement, Sensor Systems, Signal Processing Engineer, Software Applications Development & Software Systems, Special Security, System Administrator, Technical Project Support, Telecommunications Specialist, and Treasury & Risk Management. There are also a variety of locations beyond MITRE’s headquarters, so you’ll have plenty of options.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about MITRE?

California Conservation Corps

Willy Franzen — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:41:49 +0000

After my Freshman year of college, I decided that I wanted a summer job that would allow me to work outside. I ended up doing maintenance at a fish and game club. It was like a great experience—even if I only worked 20 hours per week. If you want to work outside and are looking for something a little more intense than 20 hours per week, then you need to check out the California Conservation Corps. It’s a government run program that “matches up California’s young people and its natural resources.” Every year the CCC hires 3,300 corpsmembers and pays them minimum wage to take on projects like working on backcountry trails, aiding salmon restoration, promoting watershed stewardship, and providing emergency response services. The CCC has been around since 1976, and since then they’ve employed more than 100,000 young men and women with 98% saying that they “would recommend the CCC to a family member or friend.”

Get Paid to Enjoy the Outdoors

The California Conservation Corps provides a wide range of work opportunities for people between the ages of 18 and 25. These aren’t permanent entry level jobs, but they’re a great internship alternative or a great way to get some real work experience after you graduate. The CCC has a great website that is filled with all kinds of information about their programs. You can see what a day in the life is like or read over their FAQ. There are work locations with the Corps all across California, and there is also a wide variety of project types. The CCC site gets a bit confusing when you start looking for employment opportunities, but you can find Staff Openings here and Corpmembers opportunities here. Additionally, it looks like some of the CCC programs do their own hiring, so, for instance, you can find information on applying to the Backcountry program here.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Had you heard of the California Convervation Corps before?

U.S. Department of Labor

Willy Franzen — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:02:13 +0000

Having graduated from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, I spent a lot of time learning about work, employment, and labor issues during my undergraduate days. While most people think that Labor Day is all about the end of summer (sorry!) and not being able to wear white anymore, my school ensured that I was made more aware of the history of Labor Day. Oddly enough, ILR didn’t give us the day off from classes, but they did excuse us from classes if we went to a big Labor Day celebration with speakers from major unions. If that sounds like something that would interest you, then maybe you’ll want to check out jobs with the U.S. Department of Labor. There isn’t a more suitable employer to feature on Labor Day than our Federal Government’s Cabinet department responsible for promoting “the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States.”

A Labor of Love

Maybe I’m unique in being fascinated by the world of work, but I think that the issues surrounding employment and labor are going to continue to play a huge role in our economic (and quite possibly cultural) history. The Federal Government has built itself a significant role in these issues through the Department of Labor, and with nearly 20,000 employees I don’t think the DOL is going anywhere in the near future. The scope of what the DOL does for our country’s workers includes:

improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements.

This creates all kinds of cool jobs for people who are interested in employment issues. From Statistician to Industrial Hygienist, the range of positions at the Department of Labor is extremely wide. Since you most likely have the day off, you’ll get the pleasure of browsing through the DOL’s Job openings yourself, since there are too many for me to list here. Before you do that, though, you may want to check out the DOL’s Reference Guide for College Students entitled Starting Your Career at the U.S. Department of Labor. It’s not flashy, but it will walk you through the process of getting a job at the DOL.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How are you celebrating Labor Day?

National Archives

Willy Franzen — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:46:55 +0000

Since I’m going to have a non-profit for you tomorrow, let’s start celebrating the Fourth of July today. Now, I know that you probably have fireworks, the beach, hot dogs, and hamburgers on your mind, but let’s take a minute to appreciate the Declaration of Independence. It’s the best “I Quit” letter in the history of the world. It’s like that letter that you wrote to your parents when you were 14 and decided that you were moving out, except it isn’t completely nonsensical. The Declaration of Independence has a lot to do with why this country is so great, so I hope that you’ll take a minute to give it a read today. And where do you go if you want to read the Declaration of Independence? The National Archives, of course! You can see the original document in all its glory, or you can check out a more readable version. If you’re not familiar with what the National Archives is, basically they “are the nation’s record keeper.” They preserve and keep forever 1%-3% of our government’s documents for both legal and historical reasons.

Declare Your Independence with a New Job

One Day, One Job has its own archives, but it’s nothing compared to what the National Archives has (duh!). The National Archives serves many constituencies, as there are all kinds of uses for historical documents. These include: the General Public, Genealogists/Family Historians, Veterans and their Families, Educators and Students, Researchers, Records Managers, Preservation and Archives Professionals, Information Security Specialists, Federal Employees, Members of Congress, Press/Journalists, and more I’m sure. You could spend hours learning about the National Archives and what they have preserved, so I’m going to leave that research up to you.

What I do have for you is an inside look at what kind of jobs they have available. You can start learning about what it’s like to work at the National Archives by visiting their Careers page, and from there you can check out their Jobs page. Here’s where it gets a bit confusing because there are a lot of options. You want to select Jobs for the General Public or Federal Career Intern Program. The former takes you to the USAJOBS.gov site where you can see all of their job listings. Right now the best option is Archives Technician, but there might be some other options for you. The latter isn’t actually an internship program; it’s an entry level hiring program. It doesn’t have any openings right now, but it’s worth keeping an eye on because it looks great.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the National Archives?

National Park Service

Willy Franzen — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:37:02 +0000

Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays—not only because it signifies the start of summer, but also because I love small town patriotism. My hometown always has a fantastic parade that is often accompanied by a fighter jet fly over. Now, today’s employer may not immediately make you think of Memorial Day like last year’s did (it was Weber-Stephen, the manufacturer of my favorite charcoal grills), but you’ll realize pretty quickly why the National Park Service is a great choice for today. Not only are some of the parks that they manage great places to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend outdoors, but they’re also responsible for quite a few memorials including The Marine Corps War Memorial, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Korean War Veterans Memorial, and The World War II Memorial. Memorial Day is really about our fallen heroes, and the National Park Service is constantly working to honor them by maintaining and managing our memorials.

Celebrate Memorial Day All Year Long

If you love Memorial Day as much as I do, then a job with the National Park Service might be something worth thinking about. Whether you love the outdoors and want to be at Yosemite, love history and want to be at Lincoln’s Boyhood Home, or love our country and want to be at one of the memorials, you’ll have plenty of options. The NPS is constantly working to preserve “unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” So, how do you land a job with them? You can start at the NPS Jobs page (it has some awesome photos from the 70s), but that will dump you into USAJobs.gov—use this link so that you only see jobs posted from the NPS. There are 163 jobs posted right now, and many of them are entry level, so we’re not going to wade through all of them for you, but you should know that the NPS typically hires in the following areas: Administration, Health and Safety, Archeology, History, Architecture, Human Resources, Biological Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Community Planning, Maintenance and Facility Management, Concessions, Natural Resources, Contracting, Park Police, Cultural Resources, Park Ranger (Protection), Engineering, Park Ranger (Interpretation), Financial Management, Park Site Interpretation, Firefighting, Physical Sciences, and Fire Management. That should help you direct your search on the USAJobs.gov site a little better. Applying for government jobs can be tricky, so be sure to pay very close attention to the details before you send in your application.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite National Park/

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Willy Franzen — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:21:05 +0000

I love writing these holiday posts. It’s always fun to think of holiday related jobs, and since today is President’s Day, I had a lot of options. I could have looked at car dealerships or retailers that celebrate with a President’s Day sale, but I wanted to feature some jobs that honor our past presidents. Since Washington and Lincoln are all over our money, we’re going to check out jobs with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re responsible for printing all of our paper money, but that’s not all that they do. The BEP is also the country’s largest producer of security documents, which includes “U.S. passports, materials for Homeland Security, military identification cards, and Immigration and Naturalization Certificates.” They don’t produce our coinage – that’s the United States Mint, but they do have the coolest domain name in the government – MoneyFactory.gov – even though it kind of sounds like a get rich quick scheme’s web site. And last but not least, they must be pretty busy because the current low interest rates mean that the government is printing a lot of new money.

Jobs in the Money

If you don’t believe the saying that “money can’t make you happy,” then you might be well suited for a job with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. You’re probably not going to get rich with a job in the Federal government, but you’ll certainly be surrounded by cold, hard cash. The BEP looks like a fascinating place to work, and they have quite a few job offerings that might interest new college grads. They have two locations – Washington, DC and Fort Worth, TX – but they only have job openings in DC right now. The BEP’s job listings are some of the most confusing that I’ve ever read, so it’s really hard to tell what the experience requirements are for each job. With that said, I think that you might want to check out jobs like Quality Assurance Specialist, Human Resources Specialist (Employee & Labor Relations), Management Assistant, Chemist, Picture Engraver (Banknote) Apprentice, and Research Chemist. It’s hard to say whether all of these jobs are entry level, but give them a good look if you’re intrigued by the titles. You should also note that the BEP has some Special Hiring Programs. These include the Outstanding Scholar Program, which “exempts qualified applicants from normal competitive hiring procedures who have obtained Superior Academic Achievement,” and a Merit Promotions Program. The application instructions for jobs with the BEP are at the end of each job posting, and they’re onerous to say the least, but if you want to be surrounded by money, there’s no better option.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite bill produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing?

NOAA

Willy Franzen — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Happy Groundhog Day! Unfortunately, it looks like we’re headed for 6 more weeks of winter according to Punxsutawney Phil. That really aggravates me, so I think that I’m done trusting the rodent for my weather prediction. Last year we recommended that you consider working for the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, but this year we want you to actually be able to predict the weather. That’s why we want you to take a look at entry level jobs with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. NOAA is a government agency “that enriches life through science,” which makes them almost the exact opposite of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. NOAA’s responsibilities range from “daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce.” In fact, “NOAA’s products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product.”

From the Bottom of the Sea to the Surface of the Sun

NOAA has a great video that does a nice job of telling their story, so we thought we’d spare you some reading and embed it below. (If you’re reading via e-mail or RSS, you might need to click through to view the video).

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So what about entry level jobs with NOAA? You can find all kinds of information about working at NOAA on their Careers page. Unfortunately their Recruitment Events Calendar hasn’t been updated lately, but you can still check out their Career Fields and What NOAA Has to Offer pages. What you’re really looking for though – NOAA’s Jobs, you can find on USAJobs.gov. Right now they have 63 jobs posted in fields ranging from Computer Science to Fisheries Biology and from Program Specialist to Service Hydrologist. They list jobs by salary grade, which makes identifying entry level opportunities pretty easy. The jobs are located all across the country, so location depends on what’s available. You can apply online directly from the job listings on the USAJobs.gov site, so if you love earth sciences, there are probably some jobs for you. Beyond the USAJobs.gov site, there’s also a Student Opportunities page that links to Fellowships that may interest new grads.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you think Punxsutawney Phil was right?

United States Secret Service

Willy Franzen — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:54:33 +0000

Yesterday was a holiday for a lot of people, and I’m going to guess that not a lot is going to get done today because everyone will be watching the inauguration. Many of you will probably try to use holidays and events as a way to put off your daily job searching, but here at One Day, One Job we try to make the most out of these situations by using them to generate ideas. Yesterday we look at jobs at The King Center, and today we’re going to check out jobs with the United States Secret Service. Why? Because today is a big day for the Secret Service. Managing security at an event like the Presidential Inauguration is a daunting task, but the Secret Service is at their best for events like this. That’s why we instantly thought of them when we tried to come up with some Inauguration related jobs.

It’s No Secret That the Secret Service Is Hiring

Although you probably know that the Secret Service is entrusted with protecting the President and other government leaders, you may not know that they have a dual mission:

The mission of the United States Secret Service is to safeguard the nation’s financial infrastructure and payment systems to preserve the integrity of the economy, and to protect national leaders, visiting heads of state and government, designated sites and National Special Security Events.

In fact, the Secret Service was actually created in 1865 to suppress counterfeit currency. It wasn’t until 1902 when the Secret Service took on the task of full-time protection of the President with 2 (yes, 2) full-time operatives. Since then, the Protection Mission has grown quite a bit. That’s why it’s no big surprise that the United States Secret Service is hiring.

The Secret Service’s Jobs page does a nice job of outlining the types of jobs that they offer. These include Special Agent, Uniformed Division Officer, Professional & Administrative, Technical, Administrative Support & Clerical, Technical Security, and Cooperative Education Employment Opportunity. These aren’t job opening – just the types of jobs that are typically available. To see the job openings at the Secret Service, you have to head over to the USAJobs site. There are currently 21 openings, and quite a few of them look they might interest new grads. The Secret Service also offers Career Fairs for their Field Offices and Temporary Employment for students who are working their way through school. There are opportunities in Washington, DC and all across the country, so do some research and see if a life in the Secret Service is something that you’d be interested in.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you watching the Inauguration?

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Willy Franzen — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:42:58 +0000

If there’s ever a time to be a Bank Examiner, it is right now. What probably would have been considered a boring job just a couple of years ago is now action packed. What is a Bank Examiner? It’s the entry level position at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. What’s the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency? It’s a bureau of the the U.S. Department of the Treasury that was chartered in 1863 to ensure a safe and sound national banking system for all Americans. How do they do that? They have a nationwide staff that “conducts on-site reviews of national banks and provides sustained supervision of bank operations. The agency issues rules, legal interpretations, and corporate decisions concerning banking, bank investments, bank community development activities, and other aspects of bank operations.” I think that it’s pretty obvious that the OCC has become a lot busier in the past couple of years. That’s why now is a great time to check out their entry level hiring program.

Are You Down with OCC?

There’s a lot to learn about OCC before you apply for a job, so you should probably spend a couple of hours on OCC.Treas.gov, if you’re serious about applying. If you’re not quite so serious yet, but you’re intrigued about what an entry level Bank Examiner does, then you should watch the OCC’s Careers Video. It’s a nice introduction to what the OCC does and what it’s like to work for them. After watching that, you should check out their Bank Examiner Careers page. This goes into great detail about the specific position that they typically hire new grads for. The jobs require a degree in “accounting, banking, business administration, commercial or banking law, economics, finance, marketing, or closely-related field from an accredited U.S. institution” or extremely relevant prior work experience. The OCC is based out of Washington, DC; however, they have locations all across the country and often require travel (30-80%) because Bank Examiners are often working in Community Banks. The pay is great, with a starting salary of $47,000, and the benefits are top-notch. It’s no big surprise that the OCC was ranked the 4th Best Place to Work in the Federal Government. The OCC already did some recruiting back in September, but they being recruiting again in February. Keep your eye on the Bank Examiner Careers page to see when they open up applications.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you think that we have a safe and sound national banking system right now?

Department of Veterans Affairs

Willy Franzen — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:52:48 +0000

It’s been a while since we’ve featured any entry level government jobs, and with today’s being Veteran’s Day, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to take a look at what kind of jobs you can get at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Before you get in to job searching mode, though, go thank a veteran. If your grandfather served in World War II, give him a call and say thank you. Or if one of your buddies has served or is serving in Iraq, shoot him or her an e-mail stating your appreciation. And if any of you job searchers out there happen to be veterans, thank you from the One Day, One Job team. Now let’s get into what the VA is all about. There are 25 million veterans currently living in the United States and 70 million people who are “potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans.” The VA is responsible for providing top-flight patient care and administering veterans’ benefits. Our vets have risked their lives to earn the services offered by the VA, so it’s important that the VA has a talented staff that is committed to providing top-flight “customer” service.

Thank a Vet by Working at the VA

If you remember any of our previous posts about jobs with the Federal Government (e.g. the US Forest Service), you’ll know that finding jobs with them isn’t as easy as it should be. That’s ok, because we’ll guide you through the process. You should probably start by checking out the VA’s page on Types of Careers. It has info on every type of job that they offer, and even includes some videos that show “A Day in the Life.” In fact, this area of the site is pretty simple to navigate, so you shouldn’t find it too hard to get a sense of what types of jobs might interest you – categories include Health Care, Business / Administration, Legal, Engineering / Architecture / Technical Support, and Specialized Skilled Occupations / Trades. The hard part is actually navigating through the job listings. For most jobs with the VA, you need to use the USAJOBS site to search for openings. (The exception is if you’re looking for jobs with the Veterans’ Health Administration.) From the USAJOBS site you can search by Agency, Occupation, Keyword, or Location. If you have found some positions that interest you on the Types of Careers page, then you can search for those jobs. If you haven’t, you might want to try using the keyword “entry.” It’s worked for us in the past, but it’s not 100% at finding entry level jobs. You can also try sorting the search results by salary and start from the bottom, which is almost certain to lead to jobs that require no experience. There are hundreds of jobs in locations all across the country, so we’re not going to list specific opportunities, but we will warn you that once you find jobs that look interesting and click on the links to their descriptions, be sure to notice the second row of tabs on the page. That’s where you can find all kinds of detailed information about the jobs and how to apply.

The VA does work in cities big and small, so there’s a strong likelihood that they have jobs near where you live. The application processes for all of these jobs are pretty intense, because that’s how the government likes to do things, so be sure to follow the instructions carefully.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you thanked a veteran today?

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Amy Gordon — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:14 +0000

Four summers ago I had the pleasure of interning for Jill Weinberg, Midwest Region Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, or USHMM for short. Admittedly, my job consisted of a lot of clerical work. I became remarkably familiar with Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, and the paper cuts that you get on your tongue from licking envelopes over and over again; however, I also gained unforgettable knowledge and experience relating to crimes against humanity and genocide, both historical and current. The internship opened my eyes to world events, introduced me to compassionate and intelligent people, and gave me an excellent taste of what it is like to work for a non-profit, charitable company.

The following is the mission statement of the USHMM:

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history, and serves as this country’s memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust.

The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Jews were the primary victims — six million were murdered; Gypsies, the handicapped and Poles were also targeted for destruction or decimation for racial, ethnic, or national reasons. Millions more, including homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war and political dissidents, also suffered grievous oppression and death under Nazi tyranny.

The Museum’s primary mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge about this unprecedented tragedy; to preserve the memory of those who suffered; and to encourage its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the events of the Holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.

Chartered by a unanimous Act of Congress in 1980 and located adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, DC, the Museum strives to broaden public understanding of the history of the Holocaust through multifaceted programs: exhibitions; research and publication; collecting and preserving material evidence, art and artifacts related to the Holocaust; annual Holocaust commemorations known as Days of Remembrance; distribution of education materials and teacher resources; and a variety of public programming designed to enhance understanding of the Holocaust and related issues, including those of contemporary significance.

But do they have jobs?

The museum is currently offering 2 jobs in the realm of entry-level. First, is an Assistant Conservator position in their Washington D.C. office. And second, is a Silberman Foundation ITS Research Scholar position located in their Washington D.C. office as well. Both of these jobs are offered via the Museum’s third party, government jobs page. Each job link includes a description of the position, an extensive list of qualification standards, benefits information and a link to apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Looking for a museum job? Leave a comment, let us know.

Federal Reserve Board

Willy Franzen — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:37 +0000

“May you live in interesting times.” It’s allegedly a translation of a Chinese proverb, but Wikipedia can’t even figure out who actually said it first. Regardless, a job at the Federal Reserve Board should be extremely “interesting” over the next year (at the very least). With Bear Stearns almost falling into bankruptcy, and a lot of other investment banks in trouble, a job in finance doesn’t look nearly as attractive as it did a year ago. Still, if you’re interested in economics, finance, or a related field, a job at the Federal Reserve Board is a great alternative. Although connected to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Federal Reserve Board is a different entity. If you don’t already know, the Fed, which is led by Chairman Ben Bernanke, is responsible for crafting the monetary policy that supports the American economy.

Whether you were too late in trying to get a job with an investment bank or you’re looking to get a Ph.D in Economics, the Federal Reserve Board still has a lot of entry-level job opportunities. Their hiring process is interesting for a government employer, since they don’t go through USAjobs.gov, but instead have their own system. If you want to be a Research Analyst or Economist (Ph.D required), then you need to use the links we just gave you to apply. Otherwise you can search for current openings at the Fed. These openings are categorized by pay scale. From what we can tell, Grade 22/23 jobs are definitely entry-level, and up to Grade 25 may be appropriate for a new grad. You’ll have to do the searching yourselves, because we’re on vacation.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Remember, we’re on Spring Break this week, so the posts will be on the short side. Don’t worry, we’ll be back in full force next week.

NASA

Willy Franzen — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:00:21 +0000

Typically young children are quite realistic about their career aspirations. They want to be firefighters, policemen, and teachers – professions that are in constant, steady demand. The more ambitious children might want a job as a doctor or veterinarian – still steady, but requiring a significant investment in education. It almost seems that as children we’re more realistic about life and careers than we are when we reach adulthood – except those kids who wanted to be astronauts. Since the beginning of the space program, there have only been 321 astronauts selected. Ever. There’s no surefire (or easy) way to become an astronaut – pilots, schoolteachers, doctors, scientist, and engineers have all been astronauts – but if selection as an astronaut is one of your life goals, you need to start preparing now. If you’re not ready for the commitment that it takes to be an astronaut, there are still plenty of entry-level jobs at NASA that will enable you to have a meaningful impact on the space program and NASA’s other endeavors.

NASA is a large government agency with many entry-level jobs, so instead of identifying each job opening, we’re going to guide you through how to their jobs website and help you find the information that you need before you decide to apply for a job. Usually, we complain that companies shortchange job searchers in terms of career related information on their website, but with NASA the problem is one of too much information. Maybe it’s a test to weed out candidates who can’t deal with navigating through complex situations, but we were a bit overwhelmed by NASA’s jobs site. Before you jump in and start looking around the site, you might want to read NASA’s Applicant Guide. It’s audaciously long, but it covers everything you need to know to get a job at NASA. If we left you to navigate the site, it would probably take you quite a while to find the guide, but we think it’s important to reward our loyal readers with shortcuts straight to meaningful content (if you like shortcuts, subscribe to One Day, One Job).

If you read our post about entry-level jobs at the US Forest Service, then you’re aware of the fact that all jobs with the United States government are posted on USAjobs.gov. Since NASA does not accept applications for unspecified positions, you must go through this site and search specifically for NASA jobs. We couldn’t find any information on an application process tailored specifically to entry-level candidates (probably because there isn’t one); however, there is a guide for college students who are seeking employment. There are also lists of occupation types, applicable entry-level pay ranges, and NASA locations to help you determine which jobs you should apply for. NASA also offers a FAQ for students. Like we said, there’s a ton of information.

In addition to NASA’s jobs site, there are a few other sites that are worth mentioning. First is NASA People, which is a site that appears to be targeted towards current NASA employees. It covers almost any question that you could have about what it’s like to work at NASA, so serious job searchers should spend some time browsing this site. Second is the annual ranking of Best Places to Work in the Federal Government, which ranks NASA at fourth. This gives in-depth statistics about what kinds of people are more likely to be happy working at NASA (most employees), and what types of people are less likely to be happy at NASA. It also breaks down the rankings into a number of factors that may or may not be important to you.

Finally, there is this Wired article that details the struggles that NASA is having connecting with young people. The problem is pretty obvious. The space race to put the first man on the moon created an amazing amount of interest in NASA for our parents’ generation, but we have been given technology like the Internet to explore the world that we live in. Many young people don’t see the point in exploring space, when there is so much to discover right at our fingertips. The article includes a presentation that was given to NASA management by some of NASA’s younger employees on how to improve engagement with Generation-Y/Millennials/whatever you want to call us by emphasizing NASA’s continued relevance to the issues that concern our generation. Even people who are not interested in jobs at NASA would do well to read this article as it brings up a lot of important questions about NASA, science, and the workplace. The Wired article ends by pointing to OpenNASA.com, which is a blog by NASA employees. It’s excellent, and as authentic of a resource as you’ll find on what working at NASA is like – especially for someone who is not far removed from college. Although the blog is unofficial, it’s the type of resource that every company could use to improve their recruiting practices.

If you want an entry-level job at NASA, you’ve got a lot of research to do. Get moving!

Note: On April 25th we revisited entry-level jobs at NASA.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Want an internship at NASA? They have a lot of them, and we’re talking about them at One Day, One Internship.

NORAD

Willy Franzen — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:00:12 +0000

Merry Christmas Eve from the One Day, One Job Team! We’re taking a little time off to celebrate the holiday, but that doesn’t mean we are going to stop giving you job ideas every day.

Every time this year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command begins tracking Santa Claus on his amazing route across the world bringing presents to good boys and girls. Typically, NORAD is responsible for ensuring that our country remains safe, but Santa’s annual feat is just so incredible that they have to pay it attention. How could you ignore a man who is able to deliver a child’s toys once every two to three-thousandths of a second?

In case you don’t already know what NORAD is, it’s a coalition between American and Canadian forces that watches the North American skies for threats. Their headquarters is built into Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado in a way that makes it almost indestructible. From here, they basically track all airspace over North America and whatever goes through it, whether it’s commercial planes, Santa’s sleigh, or ballistic missiles (let’s hope that never happens). If you want to learn more about what NORAD does, check out the Wikipedia entry.

Ok, so we don’t have the inside track on entry-level jobs at NORAD because they’re pretty secretive about what they do (being located inside a mountain and all). In fact, you need to me in the military to work at NORAD – your best bet is to enlist in the Air Force, although other military branches can also be assigned to NORAD. So if your dream is to track Santa on his way to bringing kids presents, take a look at some of the NORAD leaders’ biographies to get a better sense of what it takes to work inside Cheyenne Mountain.

Tomorrow we’ll have another short, Christmas themed post, and then on Wednesday it’s back to in-depth posts about great entry-level jobs.

Note: On April 23rd we revisited entry-level jobs at NORAD.

US Forest Service

Willy Franzen — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:00:17 +0000

“I was young, and I thought I was tough and I knew it was beautiful and I was a little bit crazy but hadn’t noticed it yet.” Those are the words of Norman Maclean, from his collection of autobiographical fictional works entitled A River Runs Through It and Other Stories (the “other stories” are “USFS 1919: The Ranger, the Cook, and a Hole in the Sky” and “Logging and Pimping and ‘Your Pal, Jim’”). If Maclean’s words speak to you, a career in the Forest Service might be just the right move for you after graduation.

The US Forest Service is legally charged to “achieve quality land management under the sustainable multiple-use management concept to meet the diverse needs of people.” The United States has amazingly abundant natural resources, and the USFS ensures that they are preserved for our enjoyment. USFS employees have a wide range of day to day activities that promote the Service’s mission. If you love the outdoors, want to promote conservation, and have education in a relevant field, the Forest Service will offer you an extremely broad array of intriguing entry-level job opportunities.

About those job opportunities. We have some good news and some bad news. Bad news first. We’re not going to list individual entry-level positions for you today. The good news is that we’re leaving the research to you because the USFS has way too many entry-level openings for us to list (something like 600 this year). Just to give you a taste – USFS entry-level opportunities include jobs such as Biological Scientist, Landscape Architect, Archaeologist, and Hydrologist.

Finding jobs on their site is a little confusing (what else would you expect from the Federal Government), so we’ll guide you through the process. You can either start at their Job Openings page or you can jump straight to a search of all permanent positions. From here you can do a keyword search. If you’re looking for something specific like a location or field, feel free to choose your own keywords. We typed in “entry” and found 53 positions (many with multiple openings) that all appeared to be appropriate for someone graduating with a four-year degree.

So once you get your search results, you will get a list of positions with some basic meta information. You can click through these links to the position’s page, which then has a link to another site (we told you it’s confusing). The first time we went through their site, we thought you had to click that link to find more information on the job (so don’t click it!). We were stupid and overlooked the tabs above the job description. The tabs link to very detailed information about the openings, including a full job description, list of qualifications, salary range, other relevant information, and most importantly how to apply. If you do choose to apply for a position at the USFS, you may need to register on another website (the one with the link that you hopefully didn’t click like we did).

The USFS’s Jobs website can be pretty confusing if you haven’t used it before. Still, there is nowhere else to find this many high quality jobs in such a wide range of outdoor-related fields. If you want to work for the USFS, you might be in for some serious research and browsing around their site. That’s why we said you need to be like Norman Maclean – young, tough, and a little bit crazy.

Note: On April 22nd we revisited entry-level jobs at the US Forest Service.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have we told you that we’re giving away a Wii?

Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Willy Franzen — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:00:09 +0000

The dollar may be going through a rough stretch right now, but that’s only another reason to be interested in monetary policy. If you’re a sucker for reading Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes, we think we’ve found a great career opportunity for you; however, if you’re supporting Ron Paul (and his abolish the Fed stance) in the Republican primaries, you can probably pass on this one.

The Federal Reserve, as the central bank of the US, directs the country’s monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of 12 regional banks that acts as a fiscal agent of the United States Treasury. If you’re the kind of person who’d like to work at the Fed, we’re not telling you anything you don’t already know. If you aren’t, but you’d like to learn more, why not check out the Wikipedia entry on the Federal Reserve System? Many companies that are hiring at the entry-level are more concerned with raw talent than acquired knowledge, but jobs at the Fed appear to be quite knowledge intensive. Applicants probably should have majored in Accounting, Business, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Finance, Management, or a similar field. So, if you’re drawn to finance by your love of economics, but not looking for the investment banking lifestyle, take a look Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s job opportunities for new college graduates.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Careers Site lists a number of career options for undergraduates. Specific positions are listed on their Current Undergrad Openings page. These include jobs such as Assistant Bank Examiner, Reports Analyst, Senior Reports Analyst (why a Sr. position is listed for undergrads we don’t know), Rotational Analyst, and Research Associate. Each position has an individual page that should give you a good insight as to what skills you should have for the position and what you’d be doing if you were hired. It’s pretty safe to say that all entry-level positions at the Fed will provide a solid background for your future pursuits whether they be in business or academia.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s website provides additional information on their Research Associates Program, which appears to be geared towards those with more academic interests. Research Associates can work in a number of focuses including capital markets, financial intermediation, macroeconomic and monetary studies, microeconomic and regional studies, and money and payment studies. You may also be interested in the typical responsibilities of a Research Associate. Taking care of those responsibilities will likely lead to long-term career benefits and might even get you published.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is currently hiring undergraduates who plan on starting work between June and August of 2008. Their on-campus recruiting schedule is just winding down, so you may want to act quickly before the on-campus interviewees take all the jobs.

A job at the Fed will open doors for you for the rest of your life, and unlike in most jobs, a recession might actually mean more work. Jobs at the Fed aren’t going anywhere unless Ron Paul wins the election next November.

Note: On April 22nd we revisited entry-level jobs at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Leave a comment about jobs at the Fed. It might win you a Wii.