I-O Career Paths in Government

The career paths for government were found to have four job levels (see figure above). Government employees at every level are expected to perform technical delivery. As they advance, they are expected to have greater proficiency, and once one moves into a management position supervisory competencies become critical.
Many government employees retain the same general title (e.g., "Test & Validation Specialist") and progress through numerical band levels or Government service levels (numerical) after their title as they progressed up the career ladder (e.g., Test & Validation Specialist I, II, III).
Within their roles, some I-O Psychologists are involved in client-facing projects with various government agencies, whereas others work internally and conduct research on best practices. Within both tracks, some employees may choose to take the management track, whereas others may choose to remain individual contributors.
Across all levels of the Government career paths the following competencies and experiences were identified as most important.