The first step in beginning your career journey is to assess your interests, skills, strengths, goals, values, and self to better understand your story and give you career direction.  Then, we can help you reflect on your story and create career exploration goals.

Interests: Know your interests, as they may help to align you with organizations and possible job titles representing a match based on your likes/dislikes. Use these tools below to clarify your interests and possible career ideas based on interests.

• MyNextMove - Explore career options and interests by keyword or industry, or take their short assessment to find potential career matches based on interests.
• Strong Interest Inventory (SII) - The SII is a widely respected career interest inventory designed to help people find a fit between their personalities and work. It compares your interests and preferences to people in general and to people who have been happy and satisfied in their careers. The results from the SII identify careers that best fit a person’s interests.

Values: Know your values, as they may help to align you with potential work environments and organizations that match your passion(s) and core belief(s). Use these tools below to clarify your values and identify possible career ideas based on your values.

• Imperative - This on-line tool will help you evaluate how you can bring meaning and authenticity to your work, as you identify your passion and core values, around work. The initial assessment is free, and can be brought to an appointment with us, for more conversation.

Skills/Strengths: Know your skills and strengths, as they may help to align you with well suited job titles, work tasks and work environments. Use these tools below to clarify your skills/strengths and possible career ideas based on your talents and skills.

• Career Onestop - Take this short skills assessment to learn more about your skills and how they match up to potential career ideas.
• Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - The MBTI is a self-report questionnaire designed to make Jung’s theory of psychological types understandable and useful in everyday life. It is one of the most widely used instruments for understanding personality differences and is widely used to understand people in terms of their decision-making styles, preferences for communication and work environments, and for career development and exploration.
• CliftonStrengths - The CS helps you to discover your top talent themes. By becoming aware of these talents, you can grow them into strengths. Strengths can be utilized in all aspects of your life, including career planning and during the career search process. The assessment is all about focusing on your natural talents to maximize your potential.

Want some coaching on where to begin?  Not sure which Career Track is right for you?  Make an appointment on Handshake for “Exploring Options”. We’ll be happy to talk more about your Career Track options and explore your interests and skills together, in a coaching relationship.

• Before Your Appointment: Explore the tools on our Assess Your Skills and Interests page; Create a LinkedIn account; Create a profile on Handshake.

Must-Have Skills for Careers in Government
Public service recruiters are looking for college graduates with top-notch skills and management potential. Although positions in government vary widely, there are some key skills that will help you impress recruiters and succeed at work regardless of your area of specialty. Whether you're applying for internships or jobs in federal or local government, you'll need to show your mastery of skills such as communication, organization, research, data analytics, teamwork and problem solving. You'll also find it helpful to research the specific skills sought for the roles you're interested in and direct your application materials at what an employer is seeking in candidates.

Communication
Building working relationships and delivering results are vital in these careers, plus require strong communication skills, which includes verbal, written, interpersonal, or through body language. Staff at any level of government will need to be able to interact with all sorts of people, including colleagues from other areas of government and members of the public. If you can actively monitor and adapt your communication style to suit the situation and are the sort of person who can nurture good relationships, you’ll be on your way to a successful public service career.
     How to show your communication skills: During interviews, recruiters expect to see a candidate actively seeking to be understood, communicating messages quickly and succinctly, and endeavoring to build a rapport with the interviewer before moving on to ‘sell’ their skills. In applications, demonstrate your concise writing skills, as policy reports require taking a lot of information, synthesizing it, and presenting recommendations.

Organization and Management
Whether you join a government organization as an intern, trainee manager, analyst or start working your way up from an entry-level position, you will have responsibility for providing and improving essential public services. You’ll be expected to deliver quality results to agreed timescales, quality and costs. Therefore, some of the essential competences public service recruiters are looking to identify in candidates are the ability to manage, plan & organize. You will have to be able to manage multiple projects.                                                        

     How to demonstrate that you’re highly organized: Make sure you’re well prepared throughout the application process, from the online form to interviews. When completing any assessments, read the instructions carefully and prioritize your time. It will also helpful to think of examples when you’ve played a project management role – for example, when you were in a leadership role for a student organization or supervised staff during your summer job. You can put together a portfolio to show work you have created, as “Show and Tell” is useful in interviews.

Teamwork
Teamwork abilities are essential in all government positions and the Civil Service; they go hand-in-hand with effective communication. In particular, if you aim to move up, you will need to work well with peers and adapt their working style to new team environments as they move around departments and placements. They’ll also go on to work within and manage a wide range of teams throughout the rest of their careers.
     How to prove you’re a team player: Make sure you have examples you can talk about of when you have worked in a team in the past (in a university group project or through volunteering or work experience) and what your role was in each instance. These skills may also be tested during an assessment in role play and group exercises – so be sure to play an active part and show how you relate to others.

Innovative thinking and Problem Solving
In any position in government, you will be responsible for developing and improving public services and spending tax payers’ money efficiently and effectively. You, therefore, need to be able to analyze information and evidence and use it to generate new ideas. If you’re a lateral thinker and enjoy working through a problem and finding the best solution, you will be a valued asset to any government employer.
     Demonstrate your problem-solving prowess:  Look back over your experiences and list some examples of when you’ve come up with a solution that’s worked well. This could be in university projects (particularly ones where you’ve had to make an analysis of a given scenario and draw conclusions); dealing with difficult customers in your part-time retail job and improving their visit to the store; or times when you’ve taken the initiative and tried a new way of doing things.

Specific Skills: Make sure you know exactly what the employer wants
When you research employers, you’ll find out more about the specific competencies they are looking for, which will help you to understand how to present yourself. For example, the Civil Service has a clearly established and detailed competency framework which is used for recruitment and performance management and applies at all levels of the organization. The key competencies are grouped together as follows:

• Setting direction: seeing the big picture, changing and improving, making effective decisions.
• Engaging people: leading and communicating, collaborating and partnering, building capability for all.
• Delivering results: achieving commercial outcomes, delivering value for money, managing a quality service, delivery at pace.

Adapted from:  National Career Development Association, 2016

Government/Public Service positions are available in every career field, as organizations need all types of employees.  You can choose to be an Accountant with the GAO, a Human Resources Manager with your local city, or a Policy Analyst for state government, for example.

In the 2000s, the federal non-postal civilian workforce grew by over 250,000 employees, mostly in the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and in the newest agency, the Consumer Financial  Protection Bureau. In 2013, there were 2,730,551 Federal Civilian Employees with 350,529 in Washington DC metropolitan area, and 84,522 overseas. Government employment trends are often driven by priorities and concerns that face the nation at the time--whether that be national security, cybersecurity, economics etc. In the “cyberage” 

Federal agencies are more frequently recruiting IT security and data scientists from colleges and employers who specialize in those fields. The Federal government recruiters are increasingly creating opportunities to help students and recent graduates find their way to careers in the Federal Government, as they want to hire talented, top professionals to work in government careers.

Programs such as the “Pathways” program are designed to promote employment opportunities for students and recent graduates. Access it through usajobs.gov

Resources:
http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/660449.pdf 
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/data-analysis-documentation/fe...

Once you have gathered background information and ideas on government employment, connecting with professionals can offer next level insights and answer more specific questions.

See: Networking Resources on The University Career Center website

UCAN (University Career Alumni Network) - Search and connect with U-M who have volunteered to chat with U-M students about all things career-related!

LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups - Beyond just joining LinkedIn, groups are a great way to expand one’s network, contribute to a community, and get questions answered.
LinkedIn Groups in Government:  
        American Association of Political Consultants
Social Media Strategies & Tactics in Political Campaigns

Professional Associations
Professional associations offer great insight into the career field.

• GovLoop
• Young Government Leaders
• UM Alumni Club of DC
• American Association of Political Consultants

1. Connect with Students & Professionals to Learn about Career Fields

• Attend a Career Immersion - Offered through the University Career Center throughout the year, sign-up to attend and explore employers or government work.  Some years over Spring Break, there is a Career Immersion to DC for students exploring government careers. See Handshake for options and applications.
• Conduct an Informational Interview – Interview a professional for information, via UCAN for alumni. See information on networking through informational interviewing at the University Career Center
• Join Student Organizations to Build Connections  - There are student organizations on campus with a focus on government and politics. Below are some groups you may consider joining and becoming active in and connect with professionals, maybe even help to coordinate a career panel. See Maize Pages for a complete list of UM student organizations.  Here are some to consider:
  • Mock Trial Team
    • Mock trial is an activity that brings out the best in its participants; through dedicated practice and fierce competition, those who participate in mock trial learn valuable skills that will serve them well in life regardless of what profession they choose.  Most collegiate mock trial teams are run by a faculty coach.  However, this Mock Trial Team is entirely run by its student members.  As such, students take a central role in planning and implementing the competitive season of MMT.  The fact that MMT is student-run allows it to provide an avenue for competitive excellence through the development of practical, professional, and interpersonal skills.  We strive to make the successes of MMT a reflection of the University of Michigan and its dedicated members. 
    • [email protected]
  • Central Student Government
    • 3909 Michigan Union
    • (734) 763-3241
    •  www.csg.umich.edu
    • [email protected]
  • Young Americans for Freedom
    • Young Americans for Freedom at The University of Michigan is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization dedicated to promoting conservative ideas of free enterprise, limited government, and a strong national defense. We are not wedded to any particular political party or candidate for public office: meaning that we advocate for conservative principles without the concern of pleasing Washington interests. Our goal is to energize other students and encourage them to speak out.
    • [email protected]
  • Democratic Action Committee
    • The Democratic Action Committee works to rapidly respond to policy issues arising in the state legislature and federal government by advocating for the Democratic Party platform on campus and through government and policy channels.
    • [email protected]
  • Michigan Political Union
    • The purpose of the Michigan Political Union shall be to provide University of Michigan students with a non partisan parliamentary forum and to encourage discussion and discourse about contemporary, political issues.
    • [email protected]
  • Michigan Election Law Project (MELP) *Law students
    • The Michigan Election Law Project (MELP) seeks to provide University of Michigan law students non-partisan opportunities to explore legal issues in elections, campaigning, and voting rights.
    • [email protected]
  • International Socialist Organization
    • The International Socialist Organization-University of Michigan/Ann Arbor aims to bring together students interested in left/progressive politics, including issues of civil rights, gender and sexual equality, war and foreign policy, and domestic policy regarding immigration and class hierarchies. Through our regular public meetings, study groups, tabling, and outreach, we wish to educate students and ourselves about these issues – both the gains that have been made over time and the challenges that remain.
    • [email protected]
  • Domestic Policy Corps
    • DPC advocates the deliberation of ideas between today’s current policy leaders and tomorrow’s future leaders.  In an effort to engage these debates, the DPC will coordinate bi-weekly discussions, a policy blog (The Backgrounder), policy briefs, debates, viewing parties for political events, keynote speakers, workshops and training seminars.  These experiences will further the path to policy professionalism through practical, hands-on-knowledge and a working ability to explore, learn and express views outside the classroom.
    • [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
  • Common Sense Action (CSA)
    • Created by and for Millennials, Common Sense Action (CSA) is a bipartisan organization that brings youth voices to the policymaking table to fight for generational equity. Generational Equity is the guarantee that the gateways of American opportunity are open as wide – if not wider – for Millennials as they were for our parents and grandparents. With active college chapters nationwide, CSA convenes young leaders from across the political spectrum to craft and advance solutions to the public policy issues so important to our generation that they transcend party lines.
    • [email protected]
  • College Democrats 
    • The College Democrats at the University of Michigan represents the Democratic Party on campus. College Democrats works to help Democratic candidates win elections, promotes progressive public policy, and strives to encourage student involvement in politics. During election season our organization focuses primarily on getting democrats elected. We work to register voters on campus, volunteer for Democrats running for office, and to increase student turnout on election day. In non-election season we work to promote progressive values on campus and seek to get students involved in progressive issue advocacy and awareness.
    • [email protected] 
  • College Republicans
    • The objectives of CRs are to make known and promote the principles of the Republican National Committee (RNC) to the University of Michigan community; to recruit University of Michigan students as members of CRs and as Republican identifiers; to aid in the election of Republican candidates at all levels of government; to develop political skills and leadership abilities among Republican students as preparation for their future service to their party, communities, and nation; and to provide a comfortable/safe environment for socialization of conservative students on campus.
    • [email protected] 
  • American Civil Liberties Union-undergraduate chapter
    • The mission of the ACLU—University of Michigan Undergraduate Chapter is to promote and protect civil liberties through activism and education activities. 
    • [email protected]

2.  Gain Experience
What is the #1 way employers find & hire new employees?  Through intern/co-op programs!  Apply to intern programs at the University of Michigan, including the University Career Center’s Public Service Intern Program (see more info below or at careercenter.umich.edu in undergraduate programs). The UCC also offers Ready, Set, Intern to first-year undergraduate students. Gaining relevant work experience is great for your career, as you learn about the career field, develop skills, apply theory to practice, and build a network.

Also, you can work on campus, in UROP, or at a local employer to gain work experience.  Political campaigns look for student staff during election season. 

3. Get Help
Want some coaching around navigating your Career Track?  Interested in talking with a Career Coach about your exploration of a Career Track?
~ Attend a Career Center Program/Workshop to learn more about your Career Track in group formats.
~ Make an appointment on Handshake for “Exploring Options”.
Before Your Appointment: Explore and engage with the tools and links in Explore Your Career Track; Complete the 3,2,1 reflection exercise; Attend a Career Crawl/Workshop related to your Career Track.

3 - 2 -1:  WHAT NEXT?
You have been exploring your Career Track, and may be wondering “What Next?”  This short exercise will help you clarify your question(s) and identify strategies to answer your career exploration questions.
3   -  What are three take-aways from your exploration of this Career Track?
2   -  What are two questions that you have/ what are you questioning now?
1   -  What is 1 specific action step you plan to take, to answer your 2 questions?

INTERNSHIPS
Gaining relevant experience while attending college is vital for your career, as you can put theory into action and try out a career field.  There are many sources to look for internships and U-M offers comprehensive programs including the University Career Center's Public Service Intern Program and LSA's Michigan in Washington program.  You can attend a Ready, Set, Intern session offered at the University Career Center or meet with an advisor to help you get your internship search started.

Public Service Intern Program - The University Career Center's Public Service Intern Program (PSIP) prepares undergraduate students to obtain summer internships in Washington DC, educates them to build career development skills, and supports participants while living in DC. This is the oldest and largest intern program in the country, has a sterling reputation with employers, and has had over 50 years of successful summer experiences in Washington, DC.

PSIP engages talented students from any academic department or school in securing internships in congressional support offices, executive offices and agencies, judicial offices, special interest and lobby organizations, non-profits and advocacy groups, think tanks, museums and arts organizations, and print and broadcast media.
 
A vital component of the PSIP program is building career development skills.  The cohort of students work with University Career Center staff throughout the academic year to define what kind(s) of internships to apply to, develop valuable job search skills, and build a community with their cohort.  The DC portion of the PSIP program offers support to students while experiencing life in DC, connects them with U-M alumni mentors, hosts a Welcome Reception, moderates career panels, and holds tours/briefings/events to inform the cohort about current issues and career options.
 
Past PSIP participants often report the program is one of their most meaningful experiences at U-M, as they make lifelong friends and gain valuable experience while learning from all that a summer in DC has to offer. 
 
Application Process - Selective Program:
PSIP is a competitive program and selects ~100 students each Fall for its cohort.  Mass Meetings are held in September, interviews are conducted in early October, and then students are selected for the cohort. Staff are seeking students who are committed to public service, have taken actions toward this goal, will attend bi-weekly seminar meetings, and possess skills to succeed in the program.

FELLOWSHIPS
Apply for Fellowships with the Partnership for Public Service and other organizations to work in a 1 year position to try out government employment.  The federal Pathways program also offers 1-2 year positions.

FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS(LINK IS EXTERNAL)

The STEMGradStudents.science.gov site was established to be the primary source for searching Federally-sponsored opportunities for graduate students and graduate study programs in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) areas. These advanced degree opportunities range from graduate fellowships and research internships that graduate students can apply to directly to funding opportunities for academic institutions to establish innovative graduate training programs.

FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS(LINK IS EXTERNAL)

The STEMUndergrads.science.gov site was established to be the primary source for searching Federally-sponsored opportunities for undergraduate students and undergraduate programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas. These opportunities range from scholarships and research internships that undergraduate students can apply to directly to funding opportunities for academic institutions to establish innovative undergraduate training programs.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

• Postdoctoral/Terminal Degree Required

< >

Students Pursuing an Advanced Degree

Postdoctoral & Current Students Pursuing an Advanced Degree

Bachelor's Degree Required (Minimum)

Engaging Scientists and Engineers in Policy (ESEP) Coalition(link is external) is an ad hoc alliance of organizations that have joined together to empower scientists and engineers to effectively engage in the policy making process at all levels of government (federal, state and local).  ESEP serves as a resource one-stop-shop, a communication forum, networking opportunity and as an engagement vehicle for science and technology policy stakeholders.

ESEP is co-chaired by staff at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association of American Universities. Further information and details on how to join are available here(link is external).

FULL-TIME POSITIONS
 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JOBS:  usajobs.org
usajobs is a recruiting website that lists all the information about job openings within the U.S. government.  Search and apply for positions on it.
Tips:  GovLoop Blog – tips on applying for federal government jobs in the US

Local or State Government Jobs
Apply directly with cities, counties, courts, and states on their websites

Careers in the FBI - www.fbijobs.gov
Information on internships and full-time positions with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
They also hire contractors with specific skills, such as language.

Careers in the CIA – www.cia.gov   Candidates for CIA agent jobs in clandestine services must:

• Be a citizen of the United States.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Possess a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Have strong interpersonal skills.
• Have a strong interest in international affairs.
• Be able to write clearly and accurately.

Internship / Job Openings
~ Go to Handshake at careercenter.umich.edu to see current tips, events, and internship/full-time postings!  

~ Look for announcements from your academic department

~ Use your network to locate openings in your field

~ Join and actively use LinkedIn and other career platforms

~ Add your email to newsletter and job bulletin lists from the U.S. Capitol and other employers

Connect with people who work in your field to expand your network, gather career information, and get tips for your job search. A referral from a contact goes a long way when looking for a job, so ask people you know if they will put in a good word for you. Build your professional network and keep expanding it!  

Check out UCAN (the University Career Alumni Network) to search for and connect with professionals who who have volunteered to talk with students about their positions and how to break into their industries!

Utilize the groups you have been contributing to on LinkedIn as one valuable referral source. Use your personal and professional network to connect with people you know working in the public sector.

~ Use LinkedIn to Find a Job or Internship
LinkedIn can be a great place to start finding specific opportunities and organizations. Follow organizations and members and see what connections you find. 

~ Connect with U-M Alumni
Our favorite tool on LinkedIn is the “Find Alumni” feature (under the “connections” tab) to find professionals in your intended field to reach out to. 
Local Alumni Clubs - Find the alumni club for your target areas and reach out!

~ Conduct Informational Interviews
Once you find people in your field you want to talk with, contact them and ask if you can conduct an interview with them to gain information on you’re the government/public service career field.  
 
~ Internship Postings
Handshake - With Handshake at your fingertips through the University Career Center, there are hundreds of jobs specifically looking for you as a University of Michigan student.
Use the “Job Search” filter to narrow down your search to specific areas.
You might try: Government, public service, analyst, intelligence, national security, political organizers
Academic Departments – Faculty/staff receive internship information and they post in newsletters, on bulletin boards, and via email.  Let U-M faculty/staff know you are looking for an internship.
Job Posting Sites are a not a primary recruiting tool for organizations and should be a small part of your job search efforts; however, many students begin their job search on job search boards. Some of the popular ones are:

• Governmentjobs.com
• Usajobs.org
• Usa.gov
• Americanjobs.com
• GoGovernment.org/federal-internship-finder
• Michigan.gov/som

• Indeed.com

   

While job search sites are a great place to start, online search engines are not the most effective tool for most of you. We recommend focusing on specific employers of interest, doing your research about employers and positions, and connecting with real professionals in those organizations.

For the basics of a great resume, check out our resume resources page.
Hiring Managers for government/public service are really interested in candidates who want to work for the common good. Make sure your resume highlights work you have done in politics, campaigns, public service work, and volunteer projects.  
If you have researched extensively or written about political issues, you can list the title on your resume. Prepare writing samples for those employers that request them.

~ Interviewing
For interview basics, check out our interviewing resources page.
To prepare for interviews in the public arena, remember to research the organizations of interest and the field broadly. You will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and interest through your own preparation and research. 
Specifics:  Think through the specific skills you will need to do the job and thus will likely be asked about in interviews. Prepare to discuss research you have conducted and how that impacts the issues you are targeting.  Be up to date on current political events, as they may come up in interviews.

Get Help at the University Career Center:
Want some coaching around launching your Career Track?  Interested in gaining experience including securing Internships or looking for Jobs?  
Attend a Career Center Program/Workshop to connect with employers and organizations that represent opportunities in your Career Track.
Make an appointment on Handshake for “Internship Search”, or “Job Search”
Before Your Appointment: Explore and engage with the tools and links in Launch Your Career Track; Complete the 3,2,1 reflection exercise; Attend a Career Crawl/Workshop related to your Career Track.

3,2,1!!
You have been launching your job/internship search, and may be wondering “What Next?”  This short exercise will help you clarify your question(s) and identify strategies to answer your job/internship search questions.
3   -  What are three take-aways from exploring the resources in "Launching Your Job/Internship Search"?
2   -  What are two questions that you still have/what are you questioning now?
1   -  What is 1 specific action step to help answer your 2 questions?

U-M Resources

• University Career Center
  • Public Service Intern Program (PSIP) – Year-long career development program culminating in summer internships in Washington, DC - Apply in early October
  • Immersion to DC – Spring Break (apply in late January)
• LSA
  • Michigan in Washington intern program
  • Academic Credit - UC 225 for 1 credit, including academic work and reflection (for LSA students only) 
  • Academic Departments with relevant coursework:
  • Political Science, Psychology, BCN, 
  • Ford School of Public Policy
  • Undergrad. students apply in sophomore year for BA program, which allows students to focus on a research area of interest
• Resources
  • University of Michigan
  • Pathways Program
  • Public Service Intern Program
  • Michigan in Washington program
  • The Recent Graduates Program
  • The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program

Professional Associations
Young Government Leaders
UM Alumni Club of DC

Article on Being Marketable for Federal Government Jobs: http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/79791/_PARENT/layout_det...