Description
The same job for life - a career in a public authority often has a negative image with monotonous and little varied work routines. However, this is a cliché. In fact, a career in a public au-thority goes hand in hand with civil servant status, but this does not mean that the same tasks "haunt" you for life. On the contrary, career paths are often characterised by extreme change and require a high degree of flexibility. One often works in new teams with new job profiles and areas of responsibility.
In all three federal ministries, specialised backgrounds in law in particular are sought. In addition, economics, administrative and political sciences are also in demand. In any case, generalists rather than specialists are sought: Due to a rotation principle, different departments are passed through. This involves cross-sectional and administrative tasks such as legal issues, budget management, reporting, personnel matters or public relations. In the state ministry, specialised subject backgrounds (especially from the natural sciences) may also be required on a project-related basis. Likewise, scientific qualifications are often required in the Ministry of Research, which is also related to external relations. Similarly, in the city administration in the museum sector, a doctorate is an advantage. However, the prospects for a management position are low in this case.
Salary
Salaries in public authorities are based on the collective agreement for the public sector. The exact salary levels can be found in the TVöD pay table. The grouping depends on the area of employment, experience level and applicable collective agreement.
Fixed-term contract
Permanent positions are only advertised in exceptional cases (parental leave replacements or third-party funded positions). In general, a long-term employment relationship is sought, which can also go hand in hand with civil servant status.
Application
If you want to pursue a career in public administration, you should complete an internship in a public authority during your studies. This can be decisive for a successful application. But other internships are also welcome. In addition, two years of professional experience is required. A doctorate, on the other hand, is not a hiring criterion, but does not diminish application prospects. As a rule, a doctorate is only a compulsory requirement if an explicit research activity is associated with the position in question. In the museum sector of the city administration, it is also a relevant recruitment criterion. In the Ministry of Research, on the other hand, not only is a doctorate often expected, but interdisciplinary work experience. Other-wise, the doctorate is more of a surplus that is not decisive for recruitment. In general, there-fore, a change from academia should not happen too late and should take place at the latest after the first postdoc position, as otherwise the chances of entry are very poor.
In some ministries, there should also be a willingness to change the place of employment or even to go abroad. The exact requirements can generally be found in the job advertisements. As a rule, positions in ministries are advertised twice a year. The selection procedures are multi-stage and often last several days. A written and oral Assessment Centre is often scheduled.