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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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:
Onet-Use the "Occupation Search" features
CareerOneStop-Use "Occupation Search" or "List of Occupations"
The more you know about a career the more you can decide if it is a good match with your interests, skills and talents. Also it will help you make a plan towards your future career goals. A few good ways to do that is to see that career in action, talk to someone in that career or attend a career event.
Go to the "Upcoming Events" to check for monthly career events and go to the "Future Focused Series" to register for a virtual career chat with a professional in a career field of interest.
Contact your Career Specialist, Michelle Kuck MAISD Career Specialist : mkuck@muskegonisd.org, to talk about job shadow, internship, externship, talent tour or informational interview options that may be available or to learn more about careers in this field.
Go to CareerOneStop or Going Pro in Michigan to view career related videos.