Civil Service Jobs

When someone says that he/she is a civil service employee or is a civil servant, it means that they are working for a government agency. Civil service includes employment in federal, state and local government agencies.

Just like in the private sector, civil service jobs too are varied. Almost every profession or occupation can be performed in a civil service environment. Still certain jobs such as teachers and public safety professionals are limited to the civil service.

Opting for civil service jobs gives one the opportunity of a secure work environment. Fantastic retirement packages and health benefits are two reasons why people tend to choose civil service jobs. Salaries coupled with benefits too tend to be higher in the public sector compared to jobs in private sector. Also wages for civil service jobs increase with the time spent working at a public sector job. The increases in wages are known as steps in the federal system. Civil service employees enjoy family medical leave as well as ten paid holidays per year. However many associate civil service jobs with the lazy but this is not the case. As with any profession there are bad apples in the bunch and most people doing civil service jobs are hardworking.

The federal government has made searching for civil service jobs relatively easier over the last couple of years. USAJOBS, developed by the U.S. Office of Personal Management, is available twenty four hours, seven days a week and is a website and an automated telephone system. USAJOBS contains listings of available civil service jobs, and interested patrons can download or request for application forms and find out all they need to know about federal employment. However USAJOBS does not have a centralized office where one can find civil service jobs for both state and federal levels. There are also several websites with local civil service jobs listed. The blue pages of the telephone usually have a civil service commission listed which features civil service jobs available.

The minimum requirements for applying for civil service jobs are the candidate should be a US citizen and sixteen years of age. Non citizens can only be hired for civil service jobs if there are no US citizens available for the post. Qualifications vary according to the post.

There are six simple steps to follow if one wants to become a civil service employee. First it is important to identify the job you want from the lists of civil service jobs available. Next review the vacancy announcement and carefully follow all instructions in the application. Once the application has been evaluated, one is interviewed for the job. If the interview is successful, the candidate has to undergo a background check before being employed.

Civil service jobs are widely sought after because of the high levels of job satisfaction enjoyed as well as the numerous perks employees enjoy.