Working for America: Opportunity is Knocking! Dr. Johari M. Rashad U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Penn State University Harrisburg, PA November 20, 2009 Dr. Johari M. Rashad U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Penn State University Harrisburg, PA November 20, 2009

The Partnership for Public Service MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG The Partnership works to to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.

Agenda  Breaking down government stereotypes  My federal story  Resources you can use to learn more about federal career and internship opportunities  Question and answer session MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Myths About Federal Employment  The political science major myth  The low pay myth  The Washington myth  The bureaucracy myth MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Myth #1: The Political Science Major Myth Breaking down myth #1:  Federal employees are all liberal arts majors. The government doesn’t need people with other backgrounds. MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Busting Myth #1: Find Your Federal Fit MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG Occupation# Employees Medical and Public Health 12,847 Legal (e.g., paralegal specialist or attorney) 11,557 Investigation (e.g., border patrol agent) 11,119 Business and Accounting 10,704 Natural Resources and Biology 7,053 Social Science, Social Work and Psychology 4,138 Engineering and Architecture 3,213 Education 1,424 Information Technology 1,289 In FY 2008, roughly 101,805 people were hired in the federal government at the entry level (GS-5, GS-6, GS-7, GS-9) into some of the following occupations:

Myth #2: The Low Pay Myth Breaking down myth #2:  Salaries for federal employees are low. You’re better off going to work in the private sector. MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Busting Myth #2: The General Schedule  Most Federal salaries are set by the General Schedule (GS) pay system, which goes from Grades 1-15  Each pay grade has 10 steps  Varies by geographic location  Within a few years, you could progress through several grades MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Busting Myth #2: General Schedule Grade Criteria MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG GradeQualifying education GS-54 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor’s degree OR a bachelor’s degree GS-7Bachelor’s degree with one of the following: Class standing (upper third of class) 3.0 or higher GPA; 3.5 or higher GPA in major Honor society membership GS-9Master’s degree (or equivalent) GS-11Doctorate degree Source: opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp GS-5 and GS-7 are considered “entry-level”

Busting Myth #2: Sample 2009 Starting Salaries MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG CityGS-5GS-7GS-9 Atlanta$32,039$39,687$48,545 Chicago $33,639$41,669$50,969 Seattle $32,718$40,527$49,573 New York City $34,582$42,837$52,398 San Francisco $36,309$44,976$55,015 Washington, D.C. $33,269$41,210$50,408 Source:

Busting Myth #2: Sample 2009 Starting Salaries MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG CityGS-5GS-7GS-9GS-11 Atlanta$32,039$39,687$48,545 $58,734 Chicago $33,639$41,669$50,969 $61,667 Seattle $32,718$40,527$49,573 $59,428 New York City $34,582$42,837$52,398 $63,397 San Francisco $36,309$44,976$55,015 $66,562 Washington, D.C. $33,269$41,210$50,408 $60,989 Source: Then, 2-3 years later… possible career progression

Busting Myth #2: Federal Service Benefits  Student loan repayment assistance Some agencies may repay up to $10,000 of your student loans per year In 2007, 33 agencies provided 6,619 employees with $42 million in assistance The average loan repayment in 2007 was $6,345  Flexible work schedules and generous leave benefits  Training and professional development  Competitive health and retirement benefits

Myth #3: The Washington Myth Breaking down myth #3:  Most federal jobs are located in Washington, D.C. MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Busting Myth #3: Jobs Are Everywhere! MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG Plus 50,000 jobs overseas 16% in the Washington, DC metro region

Myth #4: The Bureaucracy Myth Breaking down myth #4:  Federal employees are only paper pushers who are caught up in bureaucracy. Your work as a federal employee doesn’t make a difference. MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Busting Myth #4: My Federal Career Path  Started Federal career after graduation from Howard University (B.A., 1976) as a GS-4 clerk-typist  Administrative Intern, U.S. Civil Service Commission (1979)  Personnel Management Specialist/instructor, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM),  Senior Training Specialist, U.S. Coast Guard ( )  Chief, Office of Employee Development, Bureau of Land Management BLM) ( )  Management Analyst, BLM ( )  HR Workforce Effectiveness Advocate, OPM ( )  Management Analyst/HR Specialist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2004-present) MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Busting Myth#4: My “Piece of the Action”  Human Resources (HR) Specialist (Policy writer/analyst), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Headquarters)  Helping Agency managers to effectively carry out their HR duties by providing advice, guidance, and policies for managing EPA employees to carry out EPA’s mission.  Representing the Agency to other federal agencies, professional associations, and educational institutions and private sector organizations as a leader/member on interagency teams, workgroups, and task forces on a variety of HR issues  Serving as EPA’s Telework Coordinator MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Busting Myth #4: My Federal Career Legacy  Helping thousands of Federal employees to advance their careers; using my knowledge to help others to apply for Federal jobs.  Adopting & supporting the 5,500 sailors on the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, the first aircraft carrier to depart for “Operation Enduring Freedom” after the terrorist attacks on September 11, MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Partnership Resources   Academic Quick Guides   MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Resources: Making the Difference 8/19/2015 MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG Hot Jobs/ Cool Internships Student Programs 17 interest-specific career guides Agency profiles KSA writing and federal resumes Security clearance Student loan repayment Hot Jobs/ Cool Internships Student Programs 17 interest-specific career guides Agency profiles KSA writing and federal resumes Security clearance Student loan repayment

Resources: Academic Quick Guides 8/19/2015 MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG

Resources: Best Places to Work 8/19/2015 MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG Provides overall rankings for agencies and subcomponents Also ranks agencies based on Best in Class scores in areas including Teamwork, Effective Leadership, Support for Diversity and Pay and Benefits Provides overall rankings for agencies and subcomponents Also ranks agencies based on Best in Class scores in areas including Teamwork, Effective Leadership, Support for Diversity and Pay and Benefits

Resources: Where the Jobs Are 8/19/2015 MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG Identifies 273,000 mission-critical employment opportunities in government Search by professional field and agency View profiles of individual agencies Identifies 273,000 mission-critical employment opportunities in government Search by professional field and agency View profiles of individual agencies

Questions?  Dr. Johari M. Rashad, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  MAKINGTHEDIFFERENCE.ORG