Speaker Shares Federal Government Job Opportunities

By Melyssa Allen
 
Meredith’s Academic & Career Planning (ACP) office hosted a series of events on October 20 to educate students about careers available with the federal government.
Kim Ainsworth, executive director of the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board, met with ACP staff, presented to classes and spoke to students in information sessions. Her message was that the federal government must fill more than 270,000 jobs over the next three years.

Ainsworth said there are major misconceptions about how to get a job with the federal government.

“You don’t need to be politically connected, to have a public administration degree or to live in Washington, D.C. in order to work for the federal government,” Ainsworth said. “The federal government hires archeologists, zoologists and everything in between.”

Ainsworth provided tips on applying for federal jobs. She recommended students begin with a visit to www.usajobs.gov, a database of federal openings, and www.studentjobs.gov, which features positions for college students. There are more than 39,000 federal jobs available in North Carolina.

The purpose of Ainsworth’s visit was to alert students to career opportunities in a tight job market.

“We wanted our students to know that the federal government is the nation’s largest employer and hires all majors,” said Dana Sumner, associate director, employer relations.

Students seemed to have gotten the message. Sumner said ACP’s evaluation found that most students said after the presentation that they were very likely to seek information about federal jobs.

“I think it opened the students’ eyes to the opportunities available in the federal government,” Sumner said.

Ainsworth’s visit was made possible by the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Public Service Speakers Bureau, through which speakers visit college campuses to promote public service and provide resources that will raise awareness of federal career opportunities among young people.