When one thinks of jobs in the American Federal Government, of course the thing that usually comes to mind is that these jobs are local, or confined to the mainland. Well, think again. If the reason you want to work is “to travel” and “to see the sights of other countries,” then you no longer have an excuse not to take a government post. You can actually travel and see the sights while being employed by the Federal Government at the same time.
Few people realize that the American Federal Government is actually the country’s largest employer, with around 1.8 million people on its payroll. Among these federal workers, only 16% are actually found in jobs located in Washington, D.C. The rest of the federal workforce is spread out across the various states, and there is also a huge portion working outside the country.
If you want a career in the federal government overseas, the best place to start looking would be on the USAJOBs website. Federal career opportunities include the technical, administrative, and supervisory fields. The usual practice is to do the job training and the other pre-employment work in the States, and then just transfer overseas. Only when an employee is not available using this method, or when it turns out to be impractical, does the government hire directly from the Americans living abroad.
The following Federal agencies and departments are known for their overseas employment opportunities:
Agency for International Development
Department of Agriculture
Department of the Air Force
Department of the Army
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of the Navy
Department of State
Peace Corps
U.S. Information Agency
The qualification requirements for a job overseas are technically the same as the requirements needed for the same job in the States, although some posts may require additional or higher standards. For example, if you want to work with the American Embassy in Germany, then it would be a big plus if you knew some basic German (you would definitely land the job if you were fluent at it). The salary too, is more or less the same, but you do get other benefits like a post differential or cost-of-living allowance. Basically, with overseas employment, it’s still the same system, but you do get different sights.
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