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| Federal job awareness
heightned by ASU |
Jusitn Boulmay
Multicultural Beat
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Foster Hunt | The AppalachianProcessing Assistant for the Career
Development Center Jaime D. Burleson shows a book explaining open
federal jobs for ASU students.
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This time of year
is when college seniors are preparing to become college graduates,
putting time and energy into finding a good job when they leave.
Junior Brandon F. Hardison, for example, said
he dreams of opening his own business one day and plans to go into
sales to raise money to support his goal.
“A Call to Serve”(ACTS) is a program,
of which Appalachian State University is a founder, designed to
promote awareness of the opportunities students have in looking
for federal jobs when they graduate, including everything from postal
service to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.).
Job openings for federal positions, according
to one Web site, are said to open and close within a week. The competition
is fierce, but statistics indicate that in five years or so, over
50 percent of present-day federal employees will be eligible to
retire. Also, 70 percent of senior managers presently in office
will be in a position to retire. |
Hardison
said he had thought about federal work before, but after hearing
the statistics and knowing the current state of the nation’s
economy, he said the idea of a federal job seems more appealing
than it did before.
Freshman Ryan Berry did not seem as impressed.
“It would still have to depend on whether it’s a job I’m
interested in,” he said. “I wouldn’t take a job just
because there’s an opening.”
Many opportunities in the federal realm will soon be available,
but unfortunately, there is a lack of knowledge of these opportunities.
This is the dilemma ACTS was created to address and eventually solve
entirely. The program uses job fairs and information sessions as
two of many tools for such a job.
Federal employers require different things, said Michelle D. Brown,
career counselor for public service and environmental careers. Some
jobs require a four-year degree, she said, and others a Master’s
degree or even higher.
Brown is also the campus liaison for ACTS.
“One of the best ways to obtain federal employment is to complete
an internship through the federal government,” Brown said.
There are two main types: the Student Career Experience Program,
which can help a student directly with his or her area of study,
and the Student Temporary Employment Program, which offers part-time
jobs during the school year and does not have to relate to a student’s
major, Brown said.
“The hardest part about applying … is completing all of
the information that is required,” Brown said, noting the application
process can be long and drawn out, but added that once someone is
hired, there is room for quick advancement.
“Once you are employed … you have the opportunity to move
around and advance in your career quickly,” she said. “[Other
benefits include] 401(k)-type investment, daycare programs, flexible
working hours … and a pension based on how long you have worked
and your total earnings.”
For more information, contact Brown in the Career Development Center,
located in the John E. Thomas building, at 262-2180. |
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