Civil Service Careers

Civil service careers of almost all countries are a prestigious, as well as, a highly responsible office to hold. A simple definition for the same would be, a service wherein employee works for any government entity. Government service careers differ in their selection norms and working procedures across nations, but the underlying principle remains the same all over, which is, service in a government office, government backed department or institution.

Civil Service Careers in the US

The Civil Service Commission of the US was formally created by enacting the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, on January 16, 1883. After the passage of the law, civil services and the subsequent transformations it went through in the forthcoming years, led to a system, largely devoid of political or other influences. This facilitated a fair, non-corrupt and efficient bureaucracy. Almost 80% of the Federal jobs are filled through competitive examination. The civil service exams are a part of the endeavor of the US government to sustain and attract a meritorious human resource, in the most crucial and defining jobs, for the service of the nation.

The United States Civil Service has done away with compulsory testing for a career opportunity in bureaucracy. Under the present system, the Office of Personnel Management and other such Federal organizations post job requirements or vacancies, which can be applied for by interested candidates. According to the requirements of the job, the candidate goes through certain tests, which vary in nature across the various departments and the category of service. Civil service careers are categorized by the requirements of the job and the nature of the recruitment steps followed.

The jobs involving great deal of professional knowledge and administrative positions, usually require a candidate to go through a written exam, though it is not mandatory. The basic qualification involves a decent bachelors degree or a suitable and relevant job experience for the concerned post. However, graduation or job experience is again not mandatory and the students can also be eligible for tests or interview procedure, by possessing a combination of work experience and relevant academic education. For instance, a two year work experience along with 2 years of formal education out of 3, for a relevant job may be accepted as a qualifying criteria.

The Outstanding Scholar Program is one special eligibility criteria, where a candidate having a GPA more than 3.45 or amongst the top 10% performers of his major or academic course, that student can be considered for the relevant job. Relevant job refers to the job which is in the field of the academic area of choice of the candidate. Other than that, the applicant should be a resident and citizen of USA, possessing a valid social security number for a government job. Public relations, diplomatic or foreign service and various departments of the federal system require able individuals to handle these jobs, requiring high expertise in the concerned fields.

A civil service career is one of the most stable and satisfying endeavor, that can be pursued by an individual. Along with the prestige and the stability associated with the job, it is deeply satisfying to provide service to the nation in your own little but significant way. Therefore, the next time you are faced with a doubt like, "What type of jobs are civil service jobs?", always remind yourself about serving the nation.