Opportunities for MBAs with the Federal Government
Washington, DC is slowly, but increasingly, becoming more aware of the benefits of the MBA as well as the need to bring in qualified managers with more than just government experience. When George W. Bush was sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States, he was commonly referred to as the "MBA President," since, as a graduate of the Harvard Business School he is the first chief executive of the United States to hold the degree. Several of his appointments to fill key administration posts were also MBAs, including Elaine Chao, the Secretary of Labor, who received her MBA from the Harvard Business School and Don Evans, the Secretary of Commerce, who received an MBA from the University of Texas. Many other of his top appointments were culled from the world of business, including Paul O'Neil, his first Secretary of the Treasury and former CEO of Alcoa, as well as his replacement, John Snow, who was the head of CSX Corp.
The change at the top has not translated yet into widespread opportunities for MBAs, but the government has grown more receptive to MBAs as it begins to appreciate the skills and capabilities they bring to bear. For example, there have been recent efforts to recruit on MBA campuses. In the 2003 recruiting season, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has visited select campuses seeking to fill internships and full time positions. At times, the CIA has promoted opportunities with MBA programs and advertised for MBAs as part of its financial analysis teams on popular job posting sites, such as HotJobs.com and the Washington Post.
In 2002, Secretary Chao of the U.S. Department of Labor launched an initiative specifically to recruit MBAs to the department. With a large proportion of senior department personnel scheduled to retire in the coming years, Secretary Chao moved aggressively to create a new pipeline of talent and specifically identified hiring MBAs as the future of the department.
Finding a position with the Federal government
As would be expected with the Federal government, bureaucracy rules the hiring process. However, as with any organization, there are paths around the human resources quagmire. MBAs interested in finding an appropriate position with the Federal government should apply the tools emphasized by any career counseling office: identify your interests, find out the general requirements for position, network, and utilize internships.
Since the Federal government is required to post nearly all vacancies, one potential resource to use in identifying appropriate opportunities is its career listing website, www.usacareers.com. However, a word of warning: while the site provides a useful starting point and a valuable research tool, using it exclusively for a job search with the Federal government would sell your efforts short. Instead, for MBAs it can be best used as means to examine the types of positions available and the general salary ranges. Still, even the position descriptions can be overly bureaucratic, and therefore the site should only be considered a starting point in the research process.
According to several MBAs employed by the federal government in Washington, the best way to identify opportunities is by networking with those already working in the Federal government and with those in the nonprofits and other entities that regularly partner or interact with the Federal agencies. Two good ways to make such contacts are through MBA alumni networks and student or school sponsored conferences focusing on the public sector and non-profit management.
Applying for positions can also be highly bureaucratic, and again, interested applicants are well advised to use their networks to begin the application process. While all applicants must eventually go through the human resources department to determine whether they are qualified and if so, their pay level, it is far more fruitful to begin the application process with the office one wishes to join than with the human resources department. This is where networking can pay off, since ultimately hiring decisions are made within a specific office for high-level candidates. In fact, many government managers already have an applicant in mind before a position is posted.
One MBA graduate who returned to the Federal government after graduation said that while finding government position can take effort, the MBA is definitely seen as a benefit. "There are a lot of hiring managers who will be receptive to talking with MBAs simply because they hold the credential," he said. "MBAs with a specific interest should seek out managers in the Federal government, send them their resumes, and then try to follow up."
The insider also confirmed that there is a growing awareness of the value of an MBA, but that the government hasn't been fast enough to quickly establish the right recruiting policies to bring more business students into the Federal workforce. "The fact of the matter is that the government just doesn't pay what the private sector does," he said. "But, for those with a strong interest in government work, there are many ways in and many rewarding career paths."
|
