The U.S. Federal Government is quietly but quickly becoming the employer of choice for American's just entering the workforce, according to Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Coles James.
Speaking to a group of juniors and seniors from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Institute of Politics, Director James discussed why the American civil service is the envy of the world and urged the students to consider the "noble call" of public service.
"You are a generation looking for challenging work that enables you to make a difference in the world, and the opportunities to honor your responsibility to serve your country continue to grow," James said. "There are few greater opportunities to make such an impact than the one found in serving man and your country through the noble call of public service."
As a memento of their visit to OPM and Washington D.C., each student received a copy of OPM’s recently updated Biography of an Ideal, which chronicles the establishment of the American civil service system.
The students were also given information on e-Scholar, a Web portal where students can find hundreds of federally-funded educational scholarships, internships, grants, and cooperative programs. The e-scholar website currently has a total value of over $1 billion in educational programs available.
"There are no limits to the kind of work you can do in public service and your skills are desperately needed now and in the coming years,” James remarked. "Every possible career available in the private sector is represented in the civil service with equal opportunities for training and advancement."
James reminded students that a season in public service will benefit their community, nation and ultimately the world. "Each an every day, men and women make great sacrifices to serve their country, but the rewards of such service is invaluable. Your education is a valuable asset to you and your country; consider investing some season of your life and career to answer the call to public service."
[Source: US Office of Personnel Management]
