| Introduction: How This Book Helps You Launch a Career in Civil Service | p. vi |
| The Best Job for You in Government | |
| Deciding If a Government Career Is Right for You | p. 3 |
| The Advantages of Government Work | p. 3 |
| The Disadvantages of Government Work | p. 7 |
| Comparing Public-and Private-Sector Employment | p. 9 |
| Deciding On the Best Job for You | p. 12 |
| Launching Your Federal Government Job Search | p. 13 |
| General Job Categories and Programs Available at the Federal Level | p. 13 |
| How to Find Federal Jobs That Are Right for You | p. 15 |
| Making Contact: How and Where to Track Down Actual Job Vacancies | p. 17 |
| The Anatomy of a Federal Job Announcement: What to Look For and How to Use It | p. 18 |
| Selected Jobs in Federal Employment | p. 20 |
| Making Your Way Through the Application Maze | p. 28 |
| Examinations for Federal Civil Service Jobs | p. 29 |
| Putting Together Your Federal Job Application | p. 31 |
| Giving Yourself the Edge in the Federal Hiring Process | p. 31 |
| Federal Application Forms | p. 32 |
| Crafting Your Application to Match Career Area and Agency Standards | p. 34 |
| "Before" and "After" Examples of Federal Job Applications | p. 36 |
| Samples of Completed Application Forms | p. 38 |
| How to Give Yourself the Edge Filling Out a Federal Job Application | p. 71 |
| Getting a Job with the U.S. Postal Service | |
| Working for the U.S. Postal Service | p. 75 |
| What Is It Like to Work for the U.S.P.S.? | p. 75 |
| The Types of Jobs Available in the Postal Service | p. 78 |
| Finding Out About Postal Service Job Openings | p. 89 |
| Applying for Postal Service Jobs | p. 90 |
| The Facts About Postal Service Examinations | p. 91 |
| The Principal Exams Used by the U.S.P.S. | p. 91 |
| How the Exams Are Administered | p. 94 |
| How the Postal Service Uses Exam Results | p. 94 |
| How to Give Yourself the Edge Taking the U.S.P.S. Exam | p. 95 |
| Getting State and Municipal Civil Service Jobs | |
| Finding Jobs with Your State or Municipal Government | p. 99 |
| The Types of Jobs Available at the State and Local Level | p. 99 |
| Duties of Some Common State and Local Civil Service Job Categories | p. 100 |
| Salaries for State, County, and City Jobs | p. 101 |
| The Qualifications That Will Help You Land a Civil Service Job | p. 102 |
| Finding Out About Job Openings | p. 103 |
| How to Give Yourself the Edge Getting a State or Local Job | p. 105 |
| Sample Civil Service Job Announcements at the State and Local Level | p. 107 |
| State Bank Examiner Trainee, Bank Examiner | p. 107 |
| State or Municipal Correction Officer | p. 108 |
| State or Municipal Social Worker | p. 112 |
| State or Municipal Clerical/Secretarial Positions | p. 113 |
| State Assistant Fire Marshal, Fire Marshal in the Department of Public Welfare | p. 115 |
| State or Municipal Computer Specialist (Data Base Administration) | p. 116 |
| State or Municipal Public Health Assistant | p. 118 |
| State Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | p. 119 |
| State or Municipal Exterminator | p. 122 |
| State Laundry Washman and Supervisor | p. 124 |
| State or Municipal Consumer Services Specialist Trainee | p. 125 |
| State or Municipal Bus Maintainer | p. 127 |
| State or Municipal Life Actuaries | p. 129 |
| Examination Preparation | |
| How to Prepare Yourself for Civil Service Examinations | p. 133 |
| Understanding the Exam Announcement | p. 133 |
| Some Questions (and Answers!) About the Exam | p. 134 |
| How to Give Yourself the Edge Taking Civil Service Examinations | p. 136 |
| Preparing for Multiple-Choice Tests | p. 137 |
| Reading-Based Questions | p. 138 |
| Judgment Questions | p. 155 |
| Communication Skills Questions | p. 158 |
| Other Test Topics | p. 161 |
| Summary | p. 170 |
| Sample U.S. Postal Service Examination--Exams 470 and 460 | p. 171 |
| Practice Test | p. 172 |
| Correct Answers: Full-Length Practice Examination | p. 195 |
| Evaluate Yourself | p. 201 |
| Evaluate Your Score | p. 202 |
| Biographical/Achievement Inventory | p. 203 |
| Important Civil Service Employment Contacts | p. 207 |
| Webliography of Federal Employment Web Sites | p. 213 |
| Federal Occupations That Require Examinations | p. 215 |
| Glossary of Civil Service Hiring Terminology | p. 223 |
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