Help Wanted: Federal Agencies Look to Hire Nearly a Quarter of a Million Workers From Now Through Fall of 2012
January 21 2010 - 10:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Aon Consulting Offers Keys to Securing a Federal Position CHICAGO,
Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The federal government is hiring
tens of thousands of new employees, according to a report titled
"Where the Jobs Are 2009: Mission-Critical Opportunities for
America," released by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service
and cosponsored by Aon Consulting, the global human capital
consulting organization of Aon Corporation (NYSE:AON). (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041215/CGW049LOGO) The report
represents job data from 35 federal agencies (employing more than
1,000 people), and found that from October 2009 through September
2012, these employers plan to hire approximately 273,000 workers in
mission-critical roles (positions considered crucial by agencies to
fulfill their essential obligations to the American people)*. This
represents a 41 percent increase, compared to the three previous
fiscal years. "For job seekers motivated by a desire to make a
difference and improve the lives of Americans, there are no better
possibilities than those provided by our federal government," said
Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.
"This report confirms that the job opportunities are there. People
need to seize them." The majority of new federal hires are expected
to come from five professional fields, led by jobs in the medical
and public health category, as well as in security and protection.
The number of medical and public health openings projected from now
through fall of 2012 is 53 percent higher than from 2007 through
2009, while the demand for security and protection positions show
an estimated increase of 46 percent during that timeframe. Other
top categories include compliance and enforcement, legal
occupations, and administration and program management. "It's
important to note that while there has been considerable growth in
mission-critical jobs, the government is not growing significantly
larger in historical terms. By the end of 2012, with all new hires,
our nation's workforce will still be smaller than it was in 1967,"
said Stier. The largest increase in new hires from 2010 through
2012 will come at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). From
2007 through 2009, the VA needed about 30,000 new workers, but the
department plans to recruit 48,159 new hires in the next three
years. The Department of Homeland Security projects a jump from
almost 48,000 hires in the previous three-year period to an
estimated 65,730 new job openings between 2010 and 2012. The
Department of Defense (including the Army, Navy and Air Force)
estimates it will hire 43,514 new employees, an increase from the
35,000 it needed in the 2007 through 2009 timeframe. Getting Hired
by a Federal Agency Many federal agencies will receive an
unprecedented number of resumes for each of their job openings,
including several from candidates who are applying for a public
sector position for the first time. While standing out from the
crowd is important in pursuing all jobs, there are a number of keys
in doing so for the federal sector. Aon Consulting offers the
following tips: 1. Start by visiting http://www.usajobs.com/, which
is the official jobs site for the U.S. Federal Government. Much
like private sector job sites, you can review openings by keywords
and set up job alerts. Review job postings carefully, including
qualifications, assessment processes, job location and application
closing dates. This information is important in customizing a cover
letter and communications, as well as in completing applications
and online questionnaires. 2. If you haven't held a public sector
job in the past, demonstrate your interest in the position by
highlighting appropriate experience in serving your community,
town, school board, etc. In many cases, the skills and commitment
to public service will translate, based on this experience. 3.
Follow up on your application within the first two weeks after the
closing date. With the number of candidates vying for these
positions, research and follow up are critical to landing the new
role. 4. Stay current on federal news that may impact your search
by subscribing to the Federal News Daily e-newsletter at
http://www.federaldaily.com/, which is a news and resource site for
federal employees. 5. Remember, you don't need to live in the
Washington, D.C., area to work for a federal agency. Nearly 85
percent of federal jobs are outside Washington, D.C. In addition,
there are several international postings, if those are of interest.
According to the Where the Jobs Are 2009 report, more than 44,000
federal employees are currently working abroad. "This hiring surge
comes at a time of high national unemployment and a renewed
enthusiasm for public service," said Cecelia Evans, leader of the
Federal Sector Practice for Aon Consulting. "This means there will
be fierce competition for federal jobs, offering the government a
chance to select high-caliber talent, reinvigorate civil service
and build a workforce for tomorrow." For a copy of this report,
please visit http://www.aon.com/federal. *The projected 273,000
openings in the next three fiscal years do not include every single
job that will be available in our government, just those designated
as permanent, full-time, mission-critical positions. Separately,
the Partnership for Public Service estimates that during the full
four years of President Obama's term, new hiring for all types of
federal government positions will reach nearly 600,000 people or
almost one-third of the current workforce. About the Aon Consulting
Federal Practice Aon Consulting's Federal Government Practice
specializes in solutions for federal agencies as they face
challenges affecting talent acquisition and management, employee
health care, retirement and workforce effectiveness. By leveraging
industry experience, deep subject matter expertise and the ability
to provide end-to-end solutions across the areas of employee
benefits and talent management, the Aon Consulting Federal Practice
delivers customized solutions for each public sector entity. Aon
Consulting's team of actuaries, consultants, and organizational and
industrial psychologists help federal agencies achieve cost
savings, optimize workforce performance, comply with federal
regulations and maintain proper stewardship of their human capital
programs. For more information on the Aon Consulting Federal
Practice, please visit http://www.aon.com/federal. About Aon
Consulting Aon Consulting is among the top global human capital
consulting firms, with 2008 revenues of $1.358 billion and more
than 6,300 professionals in 229 offices worldwide. Aon Consulting
works with organizations to improve business performance and shape
the workplace of the future through employee benefits, talent
management and rewards strategies and solutions. Aon Consulting was
named the best employee benefit consulting firm by the readers of
Business Insurance magazine in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. For more
information on Aon, please visit http://www.aon.mediaroom.com/.
About Aon Aon Corporation (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider
of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage,
and human capital consulting. Through its more than 37,000
colleagues worldwide, Aon readily delivers distinctive client value
via innovative and effective risk management and workforce
productivity solutions. Aon's industry-leading global resources and
technical expertise are delivered locally through more than 500
offices in more than 120 countries. Named the world's best broker
by Euromoney magazine's 2008 and 2009 Insurance Survey, Aon also
ranked highest on Business Insurance's listing of the world's
largest insurance brokers based on commercial retail, wholesale,
reinsurance and personal lines brokerage revenues in 2008 and 2009.
A.M. Best deemed Aon the number one insurance broker based on
brokerage revenues in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and Aon was voted best
insurance intermediary, best reinsurance intermediary and best
employee benefits consulting firm in 2007, 2008 and 2009 by the
readers of Business Insurance. For more information on Aon, log
onto http://www.aon.com/. About the Partnership for Public Service
The Partnership for Public Service is a nonpartisan, nonprofit
organization working to revitalize our federal government by
inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way
government works. To learn more, visit ourpublicservice.org.
Contact: Joe Micucci 312-381-4786
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041215/CGW049LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Aon Corporation CONTACT:
Joe Micucci of Aon Corporation, +1-312-381-4786, Web Site:
http://www.aon.com/
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