Explore Your Passion for Public Service
GoGovernment is designed for career exploration! Use this page to learn more about the many job opportunities in government.
Working in Government
When we say “government,” we typically focus on the civil service. The civil service is made up of nonelected public servants who are hired for their skills and qualifications. These employees work in executive branch agencies at the federal and state level.
There are three branches of government: executive, judicial and legislative. This site prepares job seekers to explore agencies and departments in the executive branch, although valuable opportunities exist in the other branches as well.
What is the Federal Service?
Let’s look at the federal government. According to data from the Office of Personnel Management, over 2 million civil servants work in executive branch agencies. There are 15 executive departments (think of the Department of Interior, the Department of State or the Department of Agriculture) and over 400 additional independent agencies (think of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Communications Commission or NASA).
State Government at a Glance
For a state government example, let’s look at California. California’s state government is composed of three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. In California, the executive branch includes 11 Cabinet agencies and over 200 additional agencies. The executive branch hires most of the state’s government employees.
Interested in the legislative branch in the federal government? The legislative branch is composed of two bodies, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the agencies that support members of Congress, such as the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office. You may directly contact congressional offices or review their websites to learn about opportunities in their Washington, D.C., and home district offices.
Interested in the legislative branch in your state? Start with your representative. Reach out and inquire about how internships work in your state’s legislative branch.
Interested in the judicial branch at the federal or state level? Explore internships with the U.S. Supreme Court. State-level courts vary. Start with a simple online search to learn more about what’s available in your state.
