Starting Out

By Colin May, M.S., CFE

July/August 2010

Finding a job in the federal government is a daunting undertaking that shouldn’t be taken lightly or without some trepidation. Colin May has not only looked for that elusive federal position, he’s helped others do the same. In this first of two parts, he discusses the need for fraud examiners in the federal government, setting up a job search system, and the differences in federal and private sector résumés. – ed.

THE NEW G-MEN AND G-WOMEN

President Obama’s 2011 budget proposal seeks nearly $100 million “in added funding for economic fraud enforcement efforts,” according to a February 1 article, “Justice Focuses on Fraud, terrorism, and civil Rights,” by Brent Kendall in The Wall Street Journal. Kendall writes that the additional funds will enable the U.S. Department of Justice to add prosecutors and FBI agents to “investigative and prosecute financial fraud, mortgage fraud, and health-care fraud cases.”

However, even if you don’t want to be an FBI agent, the federal government is always looking for new “G-men” and “G-women” (slang for government men and women) to investigate and prosecute fraud. The fight against fraud continues and scores of federal agencies need skilled, creative, and driven fraud examiners to make a difference. Finding that coveted anti-fraud job with the United States government will take a full-time search.