By Marisa Palmieri
In a nation with a distressed economy and cutthroat competition for entry-level jobs, most college seniors and recent graduates know they have to expand their job searches, be open-minded about potential employers and forget pickiness if they want to land a job upon graduation.
These job search warriors have attended every last campus career fair and have exhausted all of their networking contacts. They have memorized the listings on Monster.com and they know Hotjobs.com like the back of their hands.
What many of them do not know, however, is that they have probably overlooked the nation's largest employer - the federal government - who is hiring and offering attractive incentives.
Ohio Senator George V. Voinovich introduced the Federal Employee Student Loan Assistance Act in April, which President Bush signed into law in November. This legislation authorized federal agencies to offer up to $10,000 a year per employee to pay back student loans, up to a total of $60,000.
"Key occupation and skill areas are lacking throughout the executive branch," Voinovich said. "We do not have enough linguists fluent in languages crucial to our national security. There is a shortage of nurses to provide critically needed care at veterans' hospitals ... The list goes on and on."
Half of the nation's 1.8 million federal employees may be eligible to retire in the next five years, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Unlike many companies, the federal government will never go out of business, and there is great opportunity for advancement and training.
There are federal jobs for every area of interest and skill level in cities all over the country and abroad. Only 16 percent of government employees work in the Washington D.C. area, over 50,000 work abroad, according to the Partnership for Public Service.
Many people shy away from federal employment because of "red tape," or the perception that it is difficult to apply for jobs, according to Tom Korvas, director of the Office of Career Services. However, like most companies, the government has streamlined the application process with online job listings and applications.
To start looking for federal employment, Korvas recommends the federal government's official employment Web site, www.usajobs.opm.gov, as well as the A Call to Serve program's Web site, www.ourpublicservice.org/info-url3739/info-url_list.htm?cat_id=43, which provides information about career fairs and other opportunities.
"It is my hope that more students will seek federal employment as a way to serve their country, and increased student loan repayments helps make federal service more attractive," Voinovich said.
Marisa Palmieri is a student writer for University Communications and Marketing.
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