Working for the Federal Government as an Agricultural Economist: What You Need to Know James B. Whitaker U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service July 28, 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Orlando, FL

Outline Top Reasons to Work for the Government Landing the Government Job

Working for the Government: ERS Three Areas of Work – Analysis for Policymakers – Academic Research – Information for the General Public

Working for the Government: ERS RecruitmentVideo.mp4

Top Reasons To Work at ERS 1. Ability to Inform Policy through Research Farm Bill, Trade Negotiations 2. The ERS Team Work as part of a research team Opportunities for collaboration Recognized experts in their fields

Top Reasons To Work at ERS 3. State-of-the-Art Support Access to a large variety of data and software Online access to journals and other resources for conducting research Editors, graphic designers Mathematicians, econometricians, social scientists Training

Top Reasons To Work at ERS 4. Publish and Flourish Academic journals, such as AJAE, Land Economics, etc Suite of ERS reports, Amber Waves, and Internet publications 5. Career Building Travel to conferences and workshops Collaborate on research with leading academics Research agendas set in collaborative effort with management. Ability to move within the agency as research interests change.

Top Reasons To Work at ERS 6. Competitive Salaries and Excellent Benefits GS-12 for recent PhD ($69,764-$90,698) Yearly cost of living increases Merit-based promotion system Potential relocation expenses, student loan repayment, signing bonus Life and health insurance Retirement Paid holidays, annual leave, and sick leave Family friendly leave and flexible work schedules New telecommuting program

Top Reasons To Work at ERS 7. Location, Location, Location Central downtown location near restaurants, theatres, museums, shops Accessible by all forms of public transportation Surrounded by major universities, research institutions, and government agencies Diverse activities, including professional sports, the arts, museums, the outdoors, three major airports for access to the entire world Onsite library/reference center, health unit, gym, kitchenettes, credit union

Landing the Government Job

Two-Part Process – ERS Recruitment Process Meeting/interview at professional meetings such as AAEA or ASSA. On-site initial meeting/interviews and job market presentation Internships (Paid) – Application for Federal Employment

Landing the Government Job Tips for the ERS Process – Know your potential employer Visit their website and read their research. Determine how you fit in with the agency and where you can contribute. – Develop your research portfolio Thesis or Dissertation Term Papers For each, be prepared to talk about the issue, your findings, and your methodology Develop one minute and 3-5 minute synopses of different research papers.

Landing the Government Job Tips for the ERS Process – Example: For my course on international trade, I wrote a paper that estimated the impacts of anti- dumping duties on the US shrimp industry. – The issue is…. – I used OLS to estimate….. – I found that…..

Landing the Government Job Tips for the ERS Process – You will make your best impression if you are PREPARED! Practice your job market presentations. Practice your interviews. Practice your research overview statements.

Landing the Government Job The Federal Process 1. Official job announcement found at: Submit application materials online: make sure it’s complete! Resume with specific information Transcripts Reference List Written responses to specific questions that determine your Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!

Landing the Government Job Some advice for answering KSA’s Must be answered completely and accurately, demonstrating your competencies (several paragraphs). USE EXAMPLES to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and abilities – “I know SAS” vs “I used SAS to…..” NEVER answer a KSA with: – “See previous answer.” – “See resume.” Be sure to submit ALL required documents Check Your Spelling and Grammar!

Landing the Government Job The Federal Process – After you submit your application: Human Resources qualifies the applicants ERS committee ranks the applicants Management makes a selection HR has to make the official offer (in writing) that lists your salary and terms.

Landing the Government Job The Federal process will be unfamiliar to you. Don’t hesitate to call your ERS contact or your HR contact and let them guide you through the process.

Landing the Government Job END