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Section II | Government

Nature of the Job

Local, state, or federal governments are employers for many of the careers listed in this book. Here, we list a sampling of job titles not emphasized elsewhere, most of which would be available at either the state or federal levels. You might also consider local government positions such as City Managers (manage business of city, work with city council on planning), Personnel Officers, City Planners (concerned with many areas such as recreation, public safety, urban renewal), and Development (promoting tourism, influx of businesses, obtaining grants, etc.).

Preparation

Suggested Areas for Minor/Collateral:

Depends upon type of job. In general, courses in Political Science and Sociology are recommended.

Suggested Internship Sites for HDFS 4314:

  • South Plains Association of Governments (SPAG)
  • City of Lubbock (various offices)

Additional Sources

  • Federal Jobs Digest
    Breakthrough Publications, Millwood, NY. (Bimonthly listing of federal jobs.)
  • Government Jobfinder
    Planning/Communications, River Forest IL, l992.
  • Capitol Jobs
    Joel Makower, Ed. Tilden Press, 1526 Connecticut Ave. NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20036.

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Goverment
Government

Sample Job Descriptions/Ads

Click on any of the headings below to view description/ad


  • Civil Rights Analyst
    • Civil rights analysts conduct social science research on the fields of civil rights and equal rights. Those in this position need to know technical knowledge of voting rights, equal employment opportunities, and labor relations. Investigating skills and the ability to interpret regulations, laws, and court decisions are extremely valuable. Oral and written communication skills are a must. Much emphasis is put on experience obtained outside the Federal Government.
  • Contact Representative
    • Contact representatives inform the public about agency programs that involve rights, benefits, and privileges. They give explanations of regulations and help people prepare documents. They find out what is causing delays and errors and explain agency decisions. They need to know federal laws, regulations, and procedures.
  • Employee Development Specialist
    • Employment development specialists consult with management officials on the immediate and long-range skill needs of the workforce, and design programs to make sure those needs are met. They make training programs available to employees; develop intern programs for recent college graduates; and prepare management seminars for supervisors.
  • Employee Relations Specialist
    • Employee relations specialists are needed for the well being of employer-employee relationship that will lend itself to a high morale and production. They help employees with benefits and health programs, guide and assist employers and employees when grievances occur. They try to improve communication between employer and employee.
  • Equal Employment Specialist
    • Equal employment specialists implement civil rights policies and ensure compliance.
  • General Student Trainee
    • Student trainees receive on-the-job training in a federal agency while they are receiving scholastic training in an accredited college or university. Not to be confused with temporary summer job. These jobs only for those who are training for a career in the chosen field that they are receiving training in. Trainee will then be promoted into his or her field.
  • Health & Regulatory Inspectors
    • Health and regulatory inspectors are employed by the federal, state, or local governments to enforce those laws that protect the public health and safety, as well as certain regulatory laws that govern, for example, labor standards, immigration, and transportation.
  • Intelligence Officer
    • Intelligence officers participate in research and analysis by selecting data and compiling data for higher grade specialists. They will also maintain files of data. Collection and dissemination is also an area for employment. Those involved in this area disseminate and analyze finished intelligence reports and compare them to determine which collection sources are most useful.
  • Labor Management Relations Examiner
    • Labor management relations examiners make the first contact for those who are concerned about a labor relations question. They conduct hearings on alleged unfair labor practices and hold elections to chose representatives for collective bargaining arrangements. They gather facts about their cases, evaluate issues and decide on a remedy.
  • Passport & Visa Examiner
    • Passport and visa examiners review, evaluate and examine applications for passports and other privileges and services that involve citizen determination. They also examine alien’s visas to determine their fitness for admission into the United States.
  • Public Information Specialists
    • Public information specialists link the public with the Government. Their job is to explain scientific research, how new laws will affect the public, and to inform the public about resources that are available to them.
  • Social Insurance Administrators
    • Social insurance administrators are employed to work as a public agent for the Social Security Administration. They help applicants with filling out applications for Social Security and Medicare. They are given training and work in one of the Social Security Administration field offices.
  • Social Science Student Trainee
    • Social science student trainees obtain on-the-job training as well as a degree from an accredited college or University. Not a summer job for students but only for those who are interested in a career position after graduation.
  • Wage & Hour Compliance Specialists
    • Wage and hour compliance specialists are concerned with broad areas of payment of wages and wage rates dictated by federal labor legislation. Specialists may investigate commercial, industrial, agricultural organizations with respect to hiring, pay, layoffs, and benefits, e.g., employment of children in hazardous occupations, migrant salaries, women, minorities, minors, and the handicapped.
  • Writer/Editor
    • Writers and editors are hired for the production of press releases, pamphlets, brochures, speeches, magazine articles, and radio and television scripts. Writers do the research, write, and edit the final manuscript.