• Home
• Students
• Faculty and Staff
• Alumni and Parents
• Employers
• Events and Deadlines

Government Employment & Internships

Federal, state, and local government agencies provide employment opportunities for students of every major. The links on this page were selected to help you navigate the Federal job search process (which can be complicated and confusing) and identify state and local opportunities as well.

Federal Government

With more than 1.8 million civilian employees, the Federal Government is the Nation’s largest employer. You may be surprised to learn, however, that 90% of Federal employees work outside the DC area. Job growth generated by increased homeland security needs will be offset by projected declines in other federal sectors; however, many job openings should arise from the need to replace retirees. Because it is projected that one third of the workforce will retire within the next five years, the government sponsors many valuable programs and informative Web sites aimed at increasing interest in federal employment. In addition to the resources below, we have many informative books and DVDs in the CDC Resource Library.

Overview of Federal Government Industry
This page from the Dept. of Labor Career Guide to Industires provides a nice first-step overview of employment with the Federal Government.

How to Get a Job in the Federal Government Article
Need to print and run? This 24-page article from the 2004 Dept. of Labor Occupational Outlook Quarterly is a good read. 

"Making the Difference" Student Outreach Web Site
This site is designed to introduce students to the many Federal jobs, internships, and programs available. It provides job profiles by area of interest, descriptions of Federal agencies, an overview of benefits, tips for applying, and lists of "hot jobs" and "cool internships." A great place to start.

Best Places to Work
This government sponsored site is the most comprehensive ranking of federal government organizations, drawing on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s survey of more than 150,000 employees. The rankings are designed to offer job-seekers unprecedented insight into the best opportunities for public service.

StudentJobs.gov
A one-stop portal for a range of Federal employment opportunities and resources for students, before and after graduation. Note that the resume and application process for post-graduate Federal jobs is quite unique; you may be asked, for example, to provide an extended list of "KSAs"--Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. We have resources in the CDC that can help prepare you for this process.

USAJobs.gov
This is the official central job-posting site of the Federal Government, but it does not necessarily include all available opportunities. It's probably not the best place to begin exploring federal employment, but is a good source to check if you know what positions you are looking for. The list of official job titles below can be a real help in your search.

Federal Jobs by Major
Not sure what sort of government job you are suited for? To assist students in selecting a career field, the Government has created a list that groups common Federal jobs according to relevant academic majors. Note that the top of the list includes several administrative jobs suitable students with a degree in any academic major.

A-Z Index of Federal Departments and Agencies
Many federal positions are posted only on individual federal agency websites, and this list will get you there. Once at a site of interest follow links to employment, career, personnel, human resources, etc. You may find this page helpful as well: Descriptions of select larger agencies.

Key Student Employment Programs
Though many agencies have special hiring and training programs for specific high-need areas (such as cyber-security), there are a few key programs that cut across agencies and offer expedited entry into the federal government, including:

Student Career Experience Program (SCEP)
SCEP positions are substantive internships in federal agencies. The work must be related to the student’s area of study and requires the agency to have a formal agreement with the student’s institution. Most positions are paid, and others may be arranged for academic credit. If the student successfully completes 640 hours of work, he or she can be appointed to a permanent position without going through the traditional hiring process (this is called a noncompetitive conversion).  For more information, see the Office of Personnel Management, or this page from USA Jobs. There does not appear to be a good central source for these oppportunities, so Googling "Student Career Experience Program Gov" might be your best bet. You can also browse the websites of agencies that interest you (Descriptions of select larger agencies; Full A-Z index).

Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP)
The STEP, another name for a temporary internship with a federal agency, is a great way for students to be exposed to the government. These paid positions can range in length from a summer to as long as the student is in school.  It is not necessary for the work to be related to the student’s academic major, which allows the student to gain experience in a variety of fields. Begin your search as described above.

Post-Graduate Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP)
This program is designed to help agencies attract outstanding students to a variety of entry-level paid positions. These are two-year full-time commitments for recent graduates. They involve various development and training programs, often grouping new FCIPs into a cohort. Upon successful completion of the program, particpants may be eligible for permanent placement within an agency. Federal agencies control their own FCIP hiring process, so the first step is to contact agencies of interest.  After two years, successful federal career interns can become regular civil service employees. Individuals interested in Career Intern opportunities must contact specific agencies directly; there is no central source for career intern opportunities. To find them, Google a phrase such as "Career Intern Program Gov" or browse the websites of agencies that interest you (Descriptions of select larger agencies; Full A-Z index).

Other valuable, but less widespread, federal programs worth Googling include the following (links will bring you to Google results; note that adding "gov" helps to focus the search):
Outstanding Scholar Program Gov (Hiring program for grads with 3.5 GPA) 
Summer Internship Program (Open)
Diversity Summer Internship Gov (Racial and Ethnic Minority students)
Student Volunteer Program Gov (Unpaid training opportunities)
Workforce Recruitment Program Gov (For students with disabilities)

State and Local Government

Overview of State/Local Government Industry
This page from the Dept. of Labor Career Guide to Industires provides a nice first-step overview of employment at the state and local level.

State and Local Government Index
This amazingly comprehensive and well-organized directory provides convenient one-stop access to the websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments. You can view a categorized list of all the Web sites for a given state (here's Maryland!), or view all Web sites for a given department (e.g., legislature) across the states.

Maryland State Government
"Career Opportunities" is a good place to start.

And don't forget...
St. Mary's County Government
Leonardtown Government