Working for the Federal Government as an Agricultural Economist: What You Need to Know James B. Whitaker U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research

Working for the Federal Government as an Agricultural Economist: What

You Need to Know

James B. Whitaker U.S. Department of AgricultureEconomic Research Servicewww.ers.usda.gov

July 28, 2008AAEA Annual MeetingsOrlando, FL

Outline

Top Reasons to Work for the Government

Landing the Government Job

Working for the Government: ERS

Three Areas of Work

– Analysis for Policymakers

– Academic Research

– Information for the General Public

Working for the Government: ERS

RecruitmentVideo.mp4

www.ers.usda.gov

Top Reasons To Work at ERS

1. Ability to Inform Policy through Research• Farm Bill, Trade Negotiations

2. The ERS Team• Work as part of a research team• Opportunities for collaboration• Recognized experts in their fields


3. State-of-the-Art Support• Access to a large variety of data and software• Online access to journals and other resources

for conducting research• Editors, graphic designers• Mathematicians, econometricians, social

scientists• Training


4. Publish and Flourish• Academic journals, such as AJAE, Land Economics, etc• Suite of ERS reports, Amber Waves, and Internet

publications

5. Career Building• Travel to conferences and workshops• Collaborate on research with leading academics• Research agendas set in collaborative effort with

management.• Ability to move within the agency as research interests

change.


6. Competitive Salaries and Excellent Benefits• GS-12 for recent PhD ($69,764-$90,698)• Yearly cost of living increases• Merit-based promotion system• Potential relocation expenses, student loan repayment,

signing bonus• Life and health insurance• Retirement• Paid holidays, annual leave, and sick leave• Family friendly leave and flexible work schedules• New telecommuting program


7. Location, Location, Location• Central downtown location near restaurants, theatres,

museums, shops• Accessible by all forms of public transportation• Surrounded by major universities, research institutions, and

government agencies• Diverse activities, including professional sports, the arts,

museums, the outdoors, three major airports for access to the entire world

• Onsite library/reference center, health unit, gym, kitchenettes, credit union



Two-Part Process

– ERS Recruitment Process Meeting/interview at professional meetings such as AAEA or

ASSA. On-site initial meeting/interviews and job market presentation Internships (Paid)

– Application for Federal Employment www.usajobs.com www.ers.usda.gov


Tips for the ERS Process

– Know your potential employer Visit their website and read their research. Determine how you fit in with the agency and where you can

contribute.

– Develop your research portfolio Thesis or Dissertation Term Papers For each, be prepared to talk about the issue, your findings, and your

methodology Develop one minute and 3-5 minute synopses of different research

papers.



– Example: For my course on international trade, I wrote a paper that estimated the impacts of anti-dumping duties on the US shrimp industry.

– The issue is…. – I used OLS to estimate….. – I found that…..



– You will make your best impression if you are PREPARED!

Practice your job market presentations.

Practice your interviews.

Practice your research overview statements.


The Federal Process1. Official job announcement found at:

www.usajobs.com www.ers.usda.gov

2. Submit application materials online: make sure it’s complete! Resume with specific information Transcripts Reference List Written responses to specific questions that determine your

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!


Some advice for answering KSA’s Must be answered completely and accurately,

demonstrating your competencies (several paragraphs). USE EXAMPLES to demonstrate your knowledge, skills,

and abilities– “I know SAS” vs “I used SAS to…..”

NEVER answer a KSA with:– “See previous answer.”– “See resume.”

Be sure to submit ALL required documents Check Your Spelling and Grammar!


The Federal Process

– After you submit your application:

Human Resources qualifies the applicants

ERS committee ranks the applicants

Management makes a selection

HR has to make the official offer (in writing) that lists your salary and terms.


The Federal process will be unfamiliar to you. Don’t hesitate to call your ERS contact or your HR contact and let them guide you through the process.


END

Documents

Working for the Federal Government as an Agricultural Economist: What You Need to Know James B. Whitaker U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research