Every country has a government and needs one to function on different levels. From country to country, you will find how governments operate differ in accordance to what structures they have in place and what they’ve decided works best for them. You may be fascinated by such structures and have decided that you want to dedicate your life to contributing to a government of your choice. There is a wide range of choices when it comes to career paths that you can take, so prospects aren’t limited to political positions. In case you want to start a career in government, you should find the career prospects below a good place to start.
Accountant
As you can imagine, governments deal with mass amounts of money on a daily basis, and this money has to be efficiently managed. This is where an accountant can come in handy to help them manage their budgets at different levels of governance. Some things you’d be doing as an accountant is analyzing financial information as well as preparing financial reports to maintain records of assets, liabilities, and other financial activities.
The road to becoming an accountant usually consists of earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting or related fields. This is especially needed if you have any intentions of becoming a CPA. You can then take the next step of picking the area you want to specialize in and getting the right experience. Some core skills you’ll need are English, Math, customer and personal service, as well as computers and electronics.
Attorney
In addition to what’s been mentioned, becoming an attorney would also be a great route to take if you want to work in government. This is because the government needs attorneys as officers of the court. In terms of salary, you could make anything from $140,000 for federal employees which municipal employees could earn around $93,000 and upwards. This makes it a lucrative path and one where you have growth potential.
Taking challenges into consideration, note that this job can be demanding as it isn’t unheard of for attorneys to have long working hours which could make work-life balance difficult to achieve if care isn’t taken. To become an attorney, you’ll need to complete a bachelor’s degree, pass the Law School Admission test, earn a Juris Doctor Degree and pass the bar examination.
Statistician
On a daily basis, the government deals with masses of data. It is what they often use to help organize society and meet the basic needs of people. For this reason, professionals who are able to make sense of the data they gather can earn a good living within governments. One type of professional that is capable of doing this is a statistician. More specifically, you will find that statisticians work with formulas as well as data in order to help solve problems in government. You may find yourself doing things like analyzing trends, designing and implementing data gathering, presenting information in different formats and assessing results.
To become a statistician, you’ll need an undergraduate degree in statistics, economics, math or anything closely related to start with. You can then apply for an online masters in applied statistics as a way of furthering your education and increasing job prospects.
Social Worker
For those with more of an interest in working with kids and helping ones without homes, you may enjoy being a social worker. Many governments take on the responsibility of helping children and teens without stable and safe homes as well as helping struggling families. As a social worker, you will protect vulnerable children as well as support families in need of support. There’s also the option of becoming a clinical social worker where you’d diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral challenges.
In more practical terms, what you’d be doing on a daily basis is linking clients to essential resources within the community, protecting vulnerable ones and acting as an advocate. Although it can be a demanding job, it can also be very rewarding as well. To start with, get an undergraduate degree in social work and then move on to graduate school to do a master’s program.
Engineer
If you want to begin earning a six-figure and work in government, then you could explore the idea of becoming an engineer. This is ideal if you have both a passion for engineering and the skills needed to excel in this field.
The government departments that seem to most need engineers are the Department of Energy and Department of the Interior. Computer hardware engineers tend to do very well, so consider that when looking for an area to specialize in. The good thing about becoming an engineer is that you’re likely to have a high-paying salary right when you come out of college. You’ll need the minimum of a bachelor’s degree in engineering and then get a post-graduate as well as further qualifications to boost your resume.
Astronomer
Another government career to consider is making a living as an astronomer. However, note that there are rigid standards and requirements to become one, so you’re going to have to put in work to succeed. Some roles that you may be asked to fill as an astronaut include aeronautical imaging or aeronautical analysis to mention a few.
Most jobs within this field demand you have a bachelor’s as well as a masters or Ph.D., so the road to becoming an astronomer is relatively long, but the pay and fulfillment you find in your work should make it worthwhile. After completing your Ph.D., your last stop would be to do a postdoctoral fellowship in which you’ll work in a research position so you can get the experience you need to excel.
Beyond the roles mentioned in this article, there are several other jobs that you could take up within government. It’s about finding the areas that you’re skilled in and seeing where those skills can be used to help any sector of government function. By doing enough research and carefully planning your career, you should be able to make your mark in government and learn a lot about the world around you along the way.
