Government Professions

Information compiled by the GradSchools.com team - last updated December 2010

Actuary - government

Sometimes bad things happen. Now and then, good things happen, too. And one could make the case that people, and companies, spend most of their time trying to avoid the bad and maximize the good. Actuaries are the people who do that for a living. In today’s complex business environment, actuaries are the masters of identifying, mitigating and minimizing risk. Once considered an esoteric niche for accountants at insurance companies, actuaries are now some of the most respected and essential employees in the corporate world and in government. And an actuarial career is one of the most creative options a statistician, economist or mathematician can have. They wield a combination of solid mathematics and out-of the-box thinking to assess risk and project outcomes for a variety of businesses.

Increasingly, there’s been a call by politicians and others to start running the government as a business. While one could argue that fiscal conservatism has fallen by the wayside, there’s still a movement within government, at every level, to contain costs, analyze risk and find ways to mitigate potential risks. Entitlement plans are the immediate beneficiaries of the application of actuarial science. But other areas of government are increasingly using actuaries as well. Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, was a wake-up call to many in government, illustrating the need for better risk management. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was largely ineffective in deploying its resources in the wake of the storm, hamstrung in part by politics, but also due to the failure of contingency plans.

Actuaries model all kinds of risk, and find themselves now working hard to ensure better returns on the deployment of resources in emergencies such as these. And just as the effects of the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005 rippled throughout the country, so too did they ripple throughout government. Actuaries involved in Medicare and Medicaid found themselves struggling to cope with increased demands on resources. The military, already stretched thin, had to readjust its risk profile to provide National Guard troops to the area while fighting continued in Afghanistan and Iraq. Even the Postal Service had to find ways to recover, continue to deliver the mail and, most importantly, prepare for future catastrophes. And certainly, the local and state governments involved are now busy working to mitigate the risk of future hurricanes in the area. The deployment of government resources, whether in a crisis situation or in everyday life, is a constant challenge that actuaries are helping to meet.

The government runs pension and benefit programs that dwarf the most ambitious corporate setups imaginable and actuaries are at the heart of these programs. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, government worker pension programs and benefits - millions of Americans rely on government actuaries so that their benefits and pensions will be there when they need them. The federal government is one of the largest employers of actuaries, and several large state governments, New York and California, in particular, have their own benefit programs and major retirement funds that require actuarial work. It isn’t glamorous work by any stretch, but it’s critical to the functioning of government. Likewise, actuaries also serve as checks and balances in a wide range of government programs.

Actuaries work for the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office and inside every single department in the federal government, ensuring that money is managed, benefits are paid, and risks are identified and mitigated. The government increasingly has been using actuaries for many other purposes as well. Actuaries work for the Commerce and Labor Departments and the Federal Reserve to project the risks for a variety of events, from natural disasters to banking scandals. They’re involved in risk management for the military, and its continued deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. They’re helping to plan contingencies for natural disasters. And, of course, they’re still trying to solve the Social Security problem.

A career as an actuary can take many forms. But in general, being an actuary means a 9-to-5 office job. As your expertise and responsibilities grow, that may change somewhat, just as any job advancement would alter one’s lifestyle. But in the end, you’ll go in, have meetings, define goals, crunch numbers, write reports and implement your work, then come home. Maybe you’ll do some catch-up at the end of the day with e-mail or some work-related reading. Office drone, you say? Hardly. You’re going to be dealing with very important issues that not only affect the company you work for, but the thousands, even millions, of customers of that company and its competitors. Your hard work can save billions of dollars, affect people’s jobs, and help others prepare for and mitigate the worst risks that can befall a company.

“Not bad for a mathematician, right?” said one pension actuary who’s currently working to make sure that a major corporation’s now-closed pension fund can still pay off its surviving beneficiaries. “I’ve got 15,000 or so people who will need this fund, maybe for the next 30 years. Without this fund, they have nothing. It’s nice to feel like you’re helping people.” And don’t pooh-pooh the 9-to-5 thing, either. You’ll work hard, but you’ll also have the opportunity to have a life - something quite rare in the business world. Furthermore, your expertise, training and certifications all mean that you’ll earn a very comfortable salary. You’ll start in the $50,000 annual salary range, and make 10 times that in a surprisingly short amount of time.

City planner

City planners do pretty much exactly what their name says: they plan cities and neighborhoods. Employed by the cities, themselves, planners decide how a city is going to look - everything from how the streets and avenues are laid out, to how tall a building should be, to where the lampposts and benches go. They work closely with other city officials to make sure their plans fit within budget.

Economic development

In government, most careers in economic development are in the offices of economic opportunity at the city, county/district or state level. An office of economic opportunity (OEO) works to create and implement new programs to bring people out of poverty. Although the federal OEO was dismantled in 1974, many of its programs are still alive today in different government agencies.

Firefighter

Long hours? That's the easy part. Many jobs require 60-hour workweeks. Many companies require their employees to work on holidays. However, very few employers ask their employees to run headfirst into flaming buildings to rescue children and pets. Firefighters respond to medical emergencies like car accidents as well as to fires. They rescue cats from trees, and when your little brother gets his head stuck in between the iron bars of the front gate, the fire department is usually called to pry him out. Because they are often the first to arrive at the scene of accidents, many firefighters hold additional certification as emergency medical technicians (EMTs).

Firefighters also specialize by department or by company within the department. Most metropolitan departments have different companies, each with a specific task. Engine and ladder companies are examples of companies you'll find at almost any fire station. Firefighters can also specialize by incident type. Hazardous materials firefighters deal with incidents involved hazardous materials. Wildland firefighters battle wildfires, jumping out of helicopters into the middle of a burning forest. The most elite and highly trained wildland firefighters are appropriately called "hotshots." In addition, fire departments must be prepared to coordinate with other authorities, including fire departments in other jurisdictions or with other specialties and non-fire departments, such as the police or government. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) created a standardized system, the National Incident Management System (NIMS), for how to respond to larger incidents, like natural disasters and emergencies.

Being in tip-top shape is a must for firefighters. For starters, the protective gear that firefighters wear weighs about 40 pounds (the equipment that they use has become increasingly sophisticated in recent years). Next, consider the physical activity involved in firefighting. In the few seconds that they have when they arrive at a fire, fighters set up ladders, connect their hose lines to hydrants, operate a pump, and, in some cases, climb many flights of stairs before reaching trapped victims. While they are testing their limits of physical exertion, firefighters must contend with toxic gases and smoke inhalation. Because of these physical demands, and also because of the responsibility they hold, firefighters undergo occasional polygraphs and periodic drug testing to ensure their enduring integrity and health.

Firefighters spend most of their workday at fire stations, where they eat and sleep when they are on 24-hour shifts. Between alarms, they have classroom training, and spend hours cleaning and maintaining equipment. This maintenance can take up to four hours and must be done after every call. The hours of a firefighter vary. In some cities, firefighters are on 24-hour duty, then are off for 48 hours; in other cities, they work a day shift of 10 hours for three or four days, a night shift of 14 hours for three or four nights, have three or four days off, and then repeat the cycle. These irregular hours are an additional source of stress in a firefighter's life and often impacts family life. The fact that they work in close quarters for many hours a month means that firefighters tend to bond strongly. This camaraderie is more than just a convenience, as firefighters have to rely on their peers when they go into a fire, usually in teams.

Once they have passed the required stamina, coordination, agility, medical and reading exams, firefighters are trained for several weeks at their department's training center. Through classroom instruction and practical training, the recruits study firefighting techniques, fire prevention, hazardous materials, local building codes, and emergency medical procedures, including first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They learn how to use axes, saws, chemical extinguishers, ladders and rescue equipment. If they pass this training, they are put on a probation period, which can vary from six to 18 months. Many fire departments have apprentice programs where applicants can spend three or four months "shadowing" firefighters to gain on-the-job training, where they do everything except actually fight fires.

Firefighters are now encouraged, and in some cities required, to hold up to 45 hours of college credit or courses in fire engineering and fire science, as well as training as emergency medical technicians. Many fire departments offer firefighters incentives such as tuition reimbursement or higher pay for completing advanced training. As firefighters gain experience, they may advance to higher ranks, such as lieutenant, captain and chief. Advancement generally depends upon written examination scores, job performance, and seniority. Some departments require chiefs to have a master's degree. Firefighters can also become part of a department's fire prevention team, which includes a fire marshal and fire inspectors who visit buildings to make sure they are fire code-compliant. Firefighters are almost exclusively male, although women are seen more and more often riding the big red trucks. Competition for jobs is intense; the civic duty aspect of being a firefighter attracts many applicants and nepotism runs rampant in many towns.

There are many benefits to being a firefighter, such as "working three days and being off for four" and "relaxation at the firehouse." As one firefighter puts it, "If you can handle going into a structure where the temperature is in excess of 3,000 degrees and looking at people who have been severely injured in a car wreck that could have been prevented, then this is the job for you." Firefighters are immensely proud of the work they do and cite "professionalism, camaraderie, love for people, compassion and emotion" as the primary qualities of their peers and themselves. The camaraderie that develops among firefighters stems from the fact that their lives "are in each other's hands." Firefighters are "constantly faced with death." Though this is "emotionally exhausting," to "save a person or an animal is a huge payback for the hardship." One firefighter says that he has seen enough death to "last two lifetimes and saved enough lives to last four lifetimes." Firefighters are also invariably well-liked by communities. As one contact explains, "people call for firefighters because they want them there," and there is "rarely any hostility" directed towards them.

Law enforcement

Law enforcement officers - police officers, detectives, sheriffs, fish and game wardens, border patrolmen, marshals, immigration and customs inspectors, FBI agents and others - enforce our nation's law to protect its citizens' lives and property. There are many different paths to choose from, each overseeing a different portion of the law. Most agencies require applicants to pass an exam and/or graduate from an academy before joining. Although law enforcement is rarely as exciting as it looks in the movies, it is certainly dangerous and stressful, as officers are often required to risk their lives on the job.

Lobbying

There tons of organizations in Washington, D.C., that seek to influence Congress and the Federal government. Corporations, labor unions, advocacy groups, industry associations and other interests seek to represent their views before Congress and impact the legislative process. They do this through lobbyists, who are either direct employees of these organizations or who work as consultants. Lobbying is carried out in a variety of different ways, but it usually refers to meeting with Members of Congress and their staffs in order to influence legislation or represent a particular point of view. Another way to influence Congress is by using the media, either by placing stories about an issue in a national news outlet or in the hometown media outlets of key Members of Congress.

Public policy

A career in public policy involves working for an advocacy group or for on the legislative side of an office on Capitol Hill. To work in legislation - or policy - for a Senator or Member of Congress, you have to have a mastery of all the legislative process and be familiar with a variety of issues, particularly those issues most important to the Member. At the top of the legislative track, the legislative director is the point person on all legislative matters, including introducing amendments, tracking legislation in committee, and advising the Member on how to vote on specific bills/amendments.

Social worker

Helping people live their lives The goal of social work is to enhance the well-being of people, families and communities so that all can live to their fullest capacity. Most social workers enter this profession out of a desire to help improve people’s lives through guidance, counseling and advocacy. They work directly with those facing life-threatening disease, disability, substance abuse or a social problem such as inadequate housing or unemployment. They work within communities, organizations and social, legal and educational systems to improve services and influence social policy. Their training in human development, personality theories, social relations and cultural norms allows them to evaluate people’s needs and determine what resources are available to improve their conditions.

Social workers are trained to look at the person in the context of his or her environment, including family composition, neighborhood and ethnic background, and its intersection with large society; in other words, they don’t approach problems as though they occurred in a vacuum. Much of what social workers do is help people function the best they can in their environments. Social workers work in a variety of settings, such as the traditional human service agencies serving children and families and in hospitals, but they can also be found in nontraditional arenas such as private businesses, politics and classrooms.

In many settings, it is the social workers who are the first point of contact for a client, and it is their job to assess a client’s needs and figure out what resources are available. In some positions, social workers provide individual and group counseling, staff supervision, case-management services and overall program guidance. In nontraditional settings such as private business, social workers work in employee assistance programs (EAPs), which help employees deal with stress, substance use, time management and other issues that can affect work productivity. Still others decide that they would rather work for themselves and start private practices offering counseling and therapy to individuals, groups and families as well as private case consultation and supervision to other social workers.