Federal Government Jobs: Required Skills and Personality Traits

Working for the federal government can provide you with great job stability, pay, and benefits. If you are seeking an entry-level position, you may want to consider starting your career by working for the federal government. You can gain tremendous experience that opens up future job opportunities in the private sector. If you are considering applying for federal government jobs, here are some of the skills and personality traits that you will be expected to have.

Reliability and Ability to Show Up on Time

Because federal government jobs are funded by taxpayer dollars, you are usually restricted in the hours that you work and your ability to take time off. This can be a positive aspect of a federal government position, because you may only have to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. without being expected to put in extra hours to finish a project. Your supervisor will expect you to show up on time every day and not take time off that exceeds your allotted sick days and vacation time. If you fail to show up on time or repeatedly miss work, there may be grounds for termination.

Strong Reputation

Depending on the type of federal government position you are applying for, it may be important for you to have a great reputation and affiliation with a political party. If you are applying for a policy-based position, you may be expected to adhere to the ideology of a political party.

Service and labor-intensive federal government positions usually do not take into account your political beliefs. In fact, a hiring committee cannot discriminate on the basis of your political beliefs if you are not applying for a policy-oriented position.

For almost all federal government jobs, you will need to go through a background check. Your employer will only want to make sure that you do not have a criminal history that impedes your qualification for the position. On an application for employment, you should always be honest when listing any convictions or arrests that you have in your past.

Specific Skills and Education Listed for the Position

The federal government will usually list the skills, knowledge, and experience required for a position. You should carefully consider these requirements and reflect on how you meet these requirements in your application. If the government requires that you have an undergraduate degree, you want to clearly indicate educational experience that qualifies you for the position. You may also want to highlight relevant volunteer or work experience.

Responsiveness to the Needs of Superiors

Another trait that you will need in almost any federal government job is the ability to fulfill the expectations of superiors. If a superior requests that you complete a project or draft a report, you will be expected to complete these tasks in a timely manner.

These are some of the characteristics that you should have before applying for a federal government position. If you have any questions about the requirements for a position that interests you, you can always email or call the HR person in charge of hiring.