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Econ job market season is here, so I thought I& #39;d re-up my government jobs thread for econ PhDs from my old account. This is particularly important this job cycle given the disruption to academic jobs, and I think this thread is still relevant for the current odd job cycle. (1/n)
A lot of the process is similar, but I& #39;ll highlight some key differences. The initial application process through @JOE_listings is the same as for academic jobs, though smaller agencies may only list on USA jobs. Many agencies can only hire US citizens, so it is important (2/n)
to state your citizenship on your CV or cover letter. I discard applications if I can& #39;t tell citizenship. It also helps if your letter writers write a separate letter for gov/private sector jobs. I try to focus on candidates who are likely to accept an offer. Someone (3/n)
whose letters focus on teaching is someone who may take an offer with a high teaching load over a government offer. Also, if you have a geographic preference for DC or a passion for the work the agency does, this is something you want to mention in the cover letter. I have (4/n)
added borderline people to the interview list based on the cover letter. The range of agencies that hire econ PhDs is large, and even if you aren& #39;t sure how your research fits with the agency, you should apply as long as your field is listed in the JOE ad. You don& #39;t even (5/n)
have to know much about the agency prior to the interview, though it helps. The AEA interview is similar to academic jobs, but many agencies will take time to describe the agency and aspects of the job (usually 45min rather than 30). Officially applying (6/n)
for the job requires filling out an application on usajobs. The HR department goes through these and determines who is "qualified" for the position. It is important that the usajobs application is complete. You upload documents to your usajobs account, but you (7/n)
must attach the docs to each application. Applications missing documents are discarded. Only candidates who clear this process can be hired. When considering jobs, there are a few things to keep in mind. Many agencies provide time and support for independent research (8/n)
(usually required to be related to the agency& #39;s mission), but you earn your paycheck by doing the agency& #39;s work. This is where fit really matters. If you don& #39;t find the work the agency does interesting, you are a poor fit for the job. (/end)
(bonus) If you attended this seminar a couple months ago, you should know all of this and may have picked up some useful agency specific knowledge. I couldn& #39;t figure out if they recorded it: https://twitter.com/AEACSWEP/status/1309611259172708354">https://twitter.com/AEACSWEP/...
(bonus1) A lot of agencies are on the GS pay scale. A fresh PhD will usually start as a grade 12 or 13. Some agencies, particularly those associated with banking (Board, SEC, FDIC, OCC) pay a lot more. Pay info is public, so you can look up recent hires.
For example, this guy is waaayyy overpaid: https://www.fedsdatacenter.com/federal-pay-rates/index.php?y=2019&n=Matsumoto%2C+Brett&l=&a=&o=">https://www.fedsdatacenter.com/federal-p...
