by
Lily Whiteman
Federal salaries are low. No! Federal salaries meet or beat their private sector counterparts in almost every job category. Plus, some federal agencies pay up to $60,000 in student loan repayments.
You have to pass the civil service exam to land a federal job. No! The civil service test does not exist anymore.
Federal internships do not pay. No! Most federal agencies offer well-paying summer or year-round internship programs. Some federal internships even cover travel and housing expenses. (By contrast, most internships in the White House and Congress are non-paying, volunteer positions.)
All federal jobs are located in Washington, D.C. No! Only about 15 percent of federal jobs are based in Washington, D.C. The other 85 percent are based overseas and throughout the United States. Almost every large city—from San Francisco to Atlanta to Chicago to New York—has tens of thousands of federal employees.
Most feds are lazy, dim-witted, and nerdy. No! Forget oddballs like Neuman on Seinfeld and Cliff Claven on Cheers. Most feds are tech-savvy, intelligent go-getters, and most federal offices are just as inviting as private sector offices. In fact, if you were placed inside a typical government office without being informed of your location, you would probably assume—based upon the office ambiance and the work force's energy level—that you were in a private sector office.
Government work is boring. No! Federal professionals use creativity and judgment to carry out high-impact public policies. The job of making the world a better place is exhilarating. And as one federal employee observed, "I don't have to watch the news when I get home from work, because I live the news every day at work."