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I am currently unemployed and looking for a job. I am a recent college graduate, ' 08, I have tried the retail industry. I didn't really enjoy retail because I didn't feel like I was apart of the "big picture". Now I am looking for an interesting job, I have heard the ATF and FBI is hiring. What kind of work would I expect to do with these agencies?

What kind of degree? If it's a generic liberal arts degree, most government agencies need entry level people to push paper.

I wouldn't work for the ATF for a night of Dita Von Teese tickling my ears.

Have you registered with USAjobs.com? That is THE foremost government job board in the U.S. It has every agency listed.

http://www.usajobs.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tateb24,

I feel your pain man. I graduated from UH back in December with a degree in economics and have had no luck with the job hunt . Luckily I was working as an accounting intern when I graduated and now I am part-time staff, but I am miserable. I went to UH's business career fair a couple of weeks ago and it was about half the size it normally is. The problem is that there is a TON of competition for every job that opens up, and companies tend to look at #'s rather than the individual. I raced too much BMX and motocross when I first started so my GPA ended up being a 3.2 which puts me at a disadvantage when put up against a 4.0 student. I decided to go back to school and get my master's in construction management, so hopefully the market will turn around before I graduate from that program. What are you looking for?

Chris

USA Jobs is where you need to look and be open to live anywhere. Once you are a government employee you can set your sights on working in the town you want in the agency you want.

tateb24 wrote:I am currently unemployed and looking for a job. I am a recent college graduate, ' 08, I have tried the retail industry. I didn't really enjoy retail because I didn't feel like I was apart of the "big picture". Now I am looking for an interesting job, I have heard the ATF and FBI is hiring. What kind of work would I expect to do with these agencies?

tateb24 - If you want to work for the government, do like others suggested by posting at USAJobs. However, obtaining a government job usually is a time consuming process, especially in today's economy. Even if you have a person on the inside helping you, it can sometimes take months or years to get hired. Most employers do not like to see gaps in your employment so I suggest that you get employed ASAP, while continuing to look for your "ideal job". Since I don't know you or your background, I can't really suggest which field to work in. Sometimes temporary or contract jobs are easier to obtain and then you can check out the company and the work to see if you like it.

Unless you get hired as a "fast track" employee, most entry level positions won't give you any kind of participation in the "big picture." A government job or a position in any large corporation is likely to be pretty routine. What ever job you get try to get noticed by projecting a positive attitude and do an outstanding job at whatever task that you have. I wish you the best.

Chris B. wrote:I graduated from UH back in December with a degree in economics and have had no luck with the job hunt. Luckily I was working as an accounting intern when I graduated and now I am part-time staff, but I am miserable. The problem is that there is a TON of competition for every job that opens up, and companies tend to look at #'s rather than the individual. Chris

Chris - As you get more experience your job performance will matter much more that your GPA. You never know, you might find a hiring manager who is a BMX fan!

And if you can get a job with a contractor that has direct contact with government employees they will get to know you (hopefully a good thing and that can open a door or two

nmsu wrote:And if you can get a job with a contractor that has direct contact with government employees they will get to know you (hopefully a good thing and that can open a door or two

The tired cliche, "It's not what you know, but who you know", is very true.