Find Government Job Sites
Governments represent some of the largest employers in the world. Federal, state, national, local, regional governments etc employ people to do anything from teaching to street maintenance, to hygiene inspections to administrative work. There are hundreds and even thousands of government job sites to explore if you decide you would like to work as a public servant. Find government job sites by deciding what kind of work you would like to do and which government you would like to work for and then searching the Internet for the websites with the best job leads.
Steps
- Consider the type of work you are looking for. Before you begin searching government sites, have an idea of whether you want full time work, part time work, or seasonal employment.
- Look for business opportunities if you are a contractor or have a small business that solicits government business. Sites such as www.fbo.gov help you find opportunities.
- Decide what type of government you would like to work for. You can find sites that provide job listings for the federal government, state government and local governments including your city and county agencies.
- Check out databases that contain information for every state or region as well as sites that are specific to each state, county or city. For example, www.statelocalgov.net will list websites for each U.S. state and direct you to sites for local and county governments in all 50 U.S. states.
- Conduct an Internet search.
- Type "find government jobs" or a similar phrase into any online search engine. You will be provided with thousands of sites that list employment opportunities with various government agencies.
- Click on sites that are published by the government, such as www.usajobs.gov for federal government jobs, or www.jobs.virginia.gov for state jobs in Virginia. The ".gov" suffix will usually let you know the site is run by a state, federal or local government.
- Check for government job sites through online recruiters.
- Use sites such as The Ladders, CareerBuilder or Simply Hired to lead you to sites that publish government jobs. For example, when you browse jobs on CareerBuilder, you can choose "government jobs" as a field when you search.
- Look for classified ads in the newspaper. You might find an ad for government work that directs you to a website. Government agencies will often advertise in print and online.
- Get a list of government job sites from your local human service agencies. If you are collecting unemployment or other government benefits such as food assistance, there is often employment training available.
- Take advantage of training programs and help with job searches. Register your resume and qualifications on any of the job sites your local agencies provide.
- Access sites for specific populations if you qualify. If you are a veteran or a person with a disability, you may be able look for government job sites that include work targeted to you and your skills.
- Check out the website operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs if you are or were in the U.S. military: www.va.jobs.gov.
- Look for nonprofit groups that help specific populations find jobs as well. For example, people with disabilities can access www.jobaccess.org. The Department of Labor and the Office of Personnel Management also maintain lists of sites that can help people with disabilities find jobs.
Tips
- Remember to start your government job search with sites that are administered by government agencies. Some third-party sites might try to charge you a membership fee or "finder's fee" to use their sites when seeking government jobs.
