10 Great Entry-Level Jobs in Government

Working for the U.S. government is a great idea for recent graduates. The government pays well and offers excellent health and retirement benefits. Best of all, there are many entry-level positions. Here are just ten of the hundreds of entry-level jobs you could apply for to get started on your career.

Court Reporter

Court reporters have a really important job. They need to take down everything that is said in a courtroom and later transcribe it into a document. They need to be impartial to the court proceedings and accurately capture everything being said. Court reporters can work for a particular jurisdiction, a company like Court Reporters Portland or work freelance.

Public Health Analyst

Public health analyst would be a good career for people who are analytical and love statistics. It’s also a great job for someone who wants to help people. Public health analysts examine needs for certain health measures like vaccinations or COVID-19 testing and help the initiatives get carried out.

Inventory Management Specialist

An inventory management specialist does exactly what you might think. They work for a department of the government that supplies things to another part of the government. It could be anything from paper towels and cleaning supplies to highly specialized airplane parts.

The inventory management specialist’s job is to always know how much of each item is available to send at a moment’s notice and to keep the supplies full for the next order. This position is perfect for an organized individual who can think ahead.

Civil Engineer

Civil engineers have a hand in just about every public building or structure you can think of. From start to finish, they think of, design, supervise and inspect everything from bridges to airports. Think about the roads and public buildings you’ve seen lately, and you will realize how important it is to have a good civil engineer behind so much construction.

Information Technology Specialist

Information technology specialists or ITs, as they are commonly known, purchase, set up and troubleshoot computer equipment. They need to know a wide range of software programs and have a pleasant personality when helping other employees.

Administrative Specialist

An administrative specialist needs to be extremely organized and able to juggle many things at once. They work on statistical reports and spreadsheets as well as planning and organizing everything from small meetings to large conferences. This is a good job for a recent graduate that could definitely lead to bigger and better things.

Management and Program Analysis

Management and program analysts are called in when a manager suspects their work area needs a new routine for things to run more smoothly. The analyst will take a look at the way employees are currently operating and come up with new, streamlined workflows.

Contract Specialist

The government often needs to do a job but doesn’t have its own employees to do it. They hire a non-government company, which is called “contracting out.” The contract specialist draws up the contract and knows what exactly the job entails. Then they evaluate the cost and reputation of every company that applies and chooses who to hire based on the best price and best reputation.

Engineering Technician

Engineering technicians work in government buildings setting up new equipment and solving the problems employees may have using the new items. They may also test the machinery regularly to perform quality control.

General Engineering

If you have always been fascinated by engines and other types of mechanical structures, this may be the job for you. There are many subcategories of general engineering including chemical, electrical or architectural engineering, so there are a lot of choices.

Many don’t realize that there are government jobs of all kinds available everywhere in the country, not just in Washington, D.C. The application process can be a bit daunting, but it’s definitely worth seeing it through.