“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

• The Federal Reserve Board
• Careers at the Federal Reserve Board
• The Fed’s Careers FAQ
• Salary Grades at the Federal Reserve Board
• The Fed’s Purpose and Functions
• Becoming a Research Analyst at the Fed
• Becoming an Economist at the Fed

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.

We've identified Federal Reserve Board as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• all employers
• banking
• economics
• finance
• government
• research
• Washington DC

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