Working for the government offers many advantages: great prospects for professional growth, job security, an attractive array of benefits, and the opportunity to help other citizens—but it also presents unique challenges. Managing Your Government Career gives current and future government employees powerful advice for starting out and maneuvering through their entire career. Based on the author’s more than 32 years experience in civil service jobs, as well as his interactions with thousands of government employees, the book helps readers:

decide whether working for the government is right for them • understand the differences between federal, state, and local levels • apply, interview for, and get the job they want • take advantage of the training offered • understand the culture • become familiar with local politics • make themselves valuable • develop the right mentors • fluidly transition up the ladder

Packed with indispensable guidance, this is a unique and highly strategic resource for anyone working in government.

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Bringing the best new people on board and weeding out the worst are both the most important and the most difficult tasks faced by any employer. For federal managers, the challenge is even greater. Not only does government bureaucracy often make hiring a cumbersome, slow-moving process, but poor performers enjoy more protection from losing their jobs than their counterparts outside of government. "The Complete Guide to Hiring and Firing Government Employees" is filled with tried-and-true strategies that will enable government managers to cut through the red tape and take advantage of the best talent available, as well as efficiently document and deal with those who don't make the cut....

Managing government employees presents unique challenges. Government managers may feel that stringent and convoluted regulations mean they "can’t do that." Some others may use that perception as a crutch. But the truth for all of them is, yes, they can "do that" -- and they’d better. "That" means managing employees as proactively and decisively as their corporate counterparts, and holding their staffs, teams, and departments accountable for productivity and results. Managing Government Employees offers dozens of techniques for meeting the challenges and stressful situations supervisors face on a daily basis. Major topics include how to:

* get maximum dedication and productivity from employees
* improve results of poor performers and discipline or fire them when necessary
* deal with union and EEO issues
* cut through the red tape of government employment systems

For managers frustrated by government bureaucracy, this book lets them know they have more power than they may think....