Help Wanted (This Means You)
If a company put out a press release stating that they anticipate filling over 193,000 jobs in the next two years, the public would stand up and take notice. If the firm provided strong benefits, a healthy retirement package, incredible job stability, opportunities in every possible field, positions in nearly every country (not to mention space and sea), one can easily imagine long lines of well dressed applicants with stacks of freshly printed resumes. The one big drawback? Brand equity. Unfortunately, this employer has a major PR problem that is extremely difficult to overcome.
Welcome to the Federal Government.
The Partnership for Public Service (PPS), a nonprofit dedicated to Federal employment, is doing everything it can to change the negative perception surrounding Federal employment. In it’s continuing series Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, PPS drives home the fact that virtually every agency across every occupational field has positions to fill that keep our country running. For example, over 35,000 openings exist or will exist in Security, Protection and International Relations, including:
Department of Homeland Security - 23,746 (including Intelligence Analysis, Contact Representatives, Transportation Security Officers)
Department of Justice - 5,609 (including Correctional Officers, Intelligence Analysis, Security Administration)
Department of Defense - 4,886 (including Foreign Affairs, Intelligence Analysis, International Relations, Security Administration)
Department of State - 4,395 (including Foreign Affairs Specialists, Intelligence, Public Diplomacy)
Agency for International Development - 380 (including Foreign Service, Program Management)
Department of the Interior - 261 (including Park Rangers)
Despite all these great positions, the one challenge that PPS can’t correct is the application process. Many attractive and high potential workers may elect to pass on these jobs out of sheer necessity to earn. The entire onboarding cycle for a new candidate takes upwards of 90 to 180 days, at best. For more complex positions that require background screening and security clearances, this time can more than double. It takes a very dedicated applicant to sit idle for that long, so most go ahead and take “regular” jobs or begin employment with Federal contractors. With the latter, this may mean effectively doing the same job you desire without both the positives and negatives of Uncle Sam’s paycheck.
Unless and until this issue of efficient application processing, screening and onboarding is improved, one of the most prolific employers may miss the best and brightest our country has to offer.
Let’s keep the conversation going.