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Want to work for the US government? These 12 agencies are hiring

Discover government agencies and departments that are actively hiring students and new grads on Handshake.

Considering pursuing a job with the government? Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of working in public service, or you’ve come to desire the stability that so often accompanies a career in the public sector. Whatever your reason for seeking out government work, you’re in luck: there are several US government recruiters who are looking to hire college students and recent graduates right now!

Check out a dozen government agencies and departments featured in our huge list of employers that are hiring on Handshake, then log into your Handshake profile to see which specific opportunities are available for you.

U.S. House of Representatives

What does the House of Representatives do? Congress is one of the first branches of government that most Americans learn about in school... after all, who could forget this familiar tune:

But as a quick refresher, here's a description from the House of Representatives website: “As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal government’s legislative branch. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states.”

U.S. Department of State

What does the Department of State do? If you love to travel, you're probably familiar with US embassies, in case you ever need help while abroad. (Maybe you've even entertained fantasies about becoming an ambassador yourself!) But the State Department extends far beyond the walls of any embassy. Here's a quick refresher from the United States government’s website: “The Department of State advises the President and leads the nation in foreign policy issues. The State Department negotiates treaties and agreements with foreign entities, and represents the United States at the United Nations.”

United States Postal Service

What does USPS do? If you live in the United States and you've ever received a postcard in the mail, you're probably familiar with at least some of what the Postal Service does. Here's a quick primer from the USPS information page: “A self-supporting, independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 155 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

What does the CDC do? Have you been following news coverage related to COVID-19? If so, you've likely heard directly from members of this agency. Here's quick overview from the CDC’s information page about what its employees focus on every day: “CDC is the nation’s health protection agency, working 24/7 to protect America from health and safety threats, both foreign and domestic. CDC increases the health security of our nation.”

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

What does the FDA do? Here’s a quick introduction from the FDA’s website, where you can learn more about their mission: “The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.”

Defense Logistics Agency

What does the Defense Logistics Agency do? Here’s a quick overview from the DLA’s website: “As the nation's combat logistics support agency, the Defense Logistics Agency manages the global supply chain – from raw materials to end user to disposition – for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, 11 combatant commands, other federal agencies, and partner and allied nations.”

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

What does CISA do? Here’s a brief rundown from the CISA information page: “CISA builds the national capacity to defend against cyber attacks and works with the federal government to provide cybersecurity tools, incident response services and assessment capabilities to safeguard the ‘.gov’ networks that support the essential operations of partner departments and agencies. We coordinate security and resilience efforts using trusted partnerships across the private and public sectors, and deliver technical assistance and assessments to federal stakeholders as well as to infrastructure owners and operators nationwide.”

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

What does the EEOC do? Here’s a quick overview from the EEOC’s website: “The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.”

U.S. Census Bureau

What does the Census Bureau do? According to the USCB’s 2017 “at a glance” page: “The Census Bureau is the federal government’s largest statistical agency. We are dedicated to providing current facts and figures about America’s people, places, and economy. Federal law protects the confidentiality of all the information the Census Bureau collects.”

USDA: Food Safety Inspection Service

What does the Food Safety and Inspection Service do? According to the Federal Register: “FSIS is responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.”

U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Cost Allocation Services

What does the HHS do? Here’s a brief rundown from the agency website: “It is the mission of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans. We fulfill that mission by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services.”

U.S. Government Accountability Office

What does the GAO do? Here’s a brief rundown from the GAO’s website: “The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the ‘congressional watchdog,’ GAO examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, reliable information to help the government save money and work more efficiently.”

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