Tips for Getting Government Jobs
in 2022
Local, state, or federal government agencies are hiring! The state of Texas alone has tens of thousands of job postings.
Some of our top customers include Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC),Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), Comptrollers of Public Accounts (CPA), and Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Office / Professional Jobs
Accounting / Finance Roles
Information Technology Jobs
Office / Professional Jobs
Advantages of government jobs
There’s a lot of advantages to working for a government agency. Some of these include:
Benefits
Overall, most government sponsored health insurance plans are generous and meant to take care of employees. Many government agencies leverage their large purchasing power to negotiate for top-rate health, dental, and vision insurance. They also often offer some form of disability and life insurance as well!
Pension
Saving for retirement is tough. Once you are vested, the government will often automatically contribute to a retirement plan for you. Then, they will also manage these plans for you. These plans generally mature at a certain age or after a number of years of service.
Stability
Government is not immune to market pressures, but they do generally see less volatility than private companies.
Upwards Mobility
There are a lot of people who work for the government and they like to promote from within. In our experience working with the state of Texas, many people will get promoted after doing good work or transfer to another agency for other opportunities.
Public Service
Many people we work with want to give back to their community. Working in a public service job can help you work for a greater purpose.
Advice for landing government jobs
We work mostly with the state of Texas and so will offer our perspective through that lens:
Look directly on their website
government agencies often don’t have the budget for advertising their job postings on LinkedIn and Indeed like private companies do. You’ll need to keep a close eye on their website. In the state of Texas, most of these opportunities can be found on WorkinTexas.com. Most federal government opportunities can be found on this page.
Apply through their application
No one likes filling out a government form. But that is your best first step. These forms will often be longer and more complex than applications for private companies, but stick with it!
Remember to complete the government application in its entirety, even if some of the information is redundant.
Leave no ambiguity
Recruiters at government agencies are often instructed to be very literal in how they interpret a resume. Where private companies might “read between the lines,” government agencies often want to see your experience and skills very clearly laid out. For best success, look at the job posting, highlight all the requirements, and make sure it is crystal clear that you have everything that they’re looking for in your experience.
Be patient! government agencies often get many applicants and their evaluation process can take several months before they schedule the first interview. Don’t give up on them—it takes time for them to respond.
Need help getting a government job?
Peak Performers is a staffing agency that helps people get government jobs. If you don’t have any experience, we can help you get your first job. Or, if you’re looking for your next job, we can help there too! Last year we helped over 1,400 people find government jobs.
Our application process is simple: go to our jobs page, select a job you’d like to apply for, and upload your resume as a word or PDF file. That’s it!