Jobs in the government and public administration career cluster involve planning, managing, and providing government legislative and administrative and regulatory services and related general purpose government services at the federal, state, and local levels.

This career cluster is divided into seven pathways:

• Governance

• National Security

• Foreign Service

• Planning

• Revenue and Taxation

• Regulation

• Public Management and Administration

Governance

Officials involved in the governance pathway uphold the structure of our government. They typically work with constituents, or voters represented by elected officials; while others resolve conflicts among interest groups with opposing goals.

Sample occupations include:

• Legislative Assistant

• Congressional Aide

• Lobbyist

• County Commissioner

• Senator

• Representative

• Mayor

• Governor

• Lieutenant Governor

National Security

Maintaining a strong national security encompasses such diverse activities as running a hospital, commanding a tank, programming computers, operating a nuclear reactor, or repairing and maintaining a helicopter. The military provides training and work experience in these fields and many others for more than 2.5 million people who serve in the active Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, their Reserve components, and the Air and Army National Guard.

Sample occupations include:

• Combat Control Officer

• Missiles and Space Systems Officer

• Submarine Officer

• Munitions Officer and Specialist

• Infantry Officer and Specialist

• Air Defense Artillery Officer

• Military Intelligence Officer

• Cryptographer

• Intelligence Analyst

Foreign Service

People working in the Foreign Service pathway help to ensure peaceful relations between the U.S. and foreign countries. They also aid immigrants wanting to live and/or work in the U.S. These people serve mainly in embassies, consulates, diplomatic missions, and in Washington, D.C.

Sample occupations include:

• Foreign Service Officer

• Diplomatic Officer

• Consular Officer

• Ambassador

• Diplomatic Courier

Planning

People who work in the Planning pathway develop long- and short-term land use plans to provide for growth and revitalization of urban, suburban, and rural communities, while helping local officials make decisions concerning social, economic, and environmental issues.

Sample occupations include:

• Planner

• Census Enumerator

• Census Clerk

• Federal Aid Coordinator

• Economic Development Coordinator

• Chief of Vital Statistics

Revenue and Taxation

People who work in the Revenue and Taxation pathway ensure that governments obtain revenue from businesses and citizens by collecting audits, monitoring taxes payable and collecting overdue tax dollars.

Sample occupations include:

• Tax Examiner

• Tax Clerk

• Revenue Agent

• Internal Revenue Investigator

• Assessor

• Auditor

Regulation

People who work in the Regulation pathway will typically possess a body of technical knowledge about an industry, the environment, or technology. This –coupled with a knowledge of related laws, rules, and regulatory systems –permit regulators to protect our health, safety, and environment as well as ensure the integrity of our financial, transportation, and public utility industries.

Sample occupations include:

• Investigator/ Examiner

• Code Inspector

• Bank Examiner

• Election Supervisor

• Child Support Officer

• Cargo Inspector

• Border Inspector

• Aviation Safety Officer

Public Management and Administration

Government agencies and public corporations and trusts have specific and rigorous standards for the stewardship of public resources. Public management careers will require technical skills related to budgeting, personnel management, procurement or other activities, and specific knowledge of the regulations and other policies that govern public management.

Sample occupations include:

• Court Administrator or Clerk

• City or County Clerk

• City Council Member

• City Manager

• Purchasing Manager

In order to make a plan for your future career goals, you need to know how to get there and make sure it is a good fit for you. There are several tools that can be used for career research. These tools can give you a description of the career, skills needed, tasks involved, wage range, and education/training needed.

Here are a few career research tools:

• Xello

• Onet-Use the "Occupation Search" features

• My Next Move

• CareerOneStop-Use "Occupation Search" or "List of Occupations"

• ASVAB-Career Exploration Program