Public administration careers can be found in a wide variety of organizations that serve the public good at local, state, national and global levels. Whether you pursue an MPA or MPP degree, there are thousands of opportunities for public administration careers in government.
There are also many career options in the "new public sector": non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work for the public good. National and international nonprofit organizations are another source for careers in public administration.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 90,000 state and local government entities in the nation. These governments employ more than 16 million full-time workers, while the federal government employs an additional 3 million.
A large number of these employees are involved in public administration. A growing trend for outsourcing public services has also created a demand for public administrators in the private sector.
There are nearly 1.4 million nonprofit institutions in the United States alone. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports 43 percent of nonprofit organizations plan to hire new workers in 2012.
Out of 450 organizations that were surveyed, a third plan to add employees who provide public services. A third of the nonprofits also plan to hire fundraisers and program managers.
Here is a sample of 10 careers MPA graduates can pursue:
1. Cabinet Members
Several of the current members of the U.S. Cabinet are holders of MPA degrees, including Kathleen Sebelius (Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), Shaun Donovan (Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development) and Hilda Solis (Secretary of Labor).
These positions are at the highest level of federal government; there are also PA leadership opportunities within hundreds of federal departments and agencies.
2. City Manager
Cities and towns across the nation need skilled leaders to plan, organize, and implement projects and services for their populations. A city manager serves as the executive officer of a city, reports to the mayor and city council, and is responsible for the administration of all city affairs.
3. County Executive
With budgets in the millions or billions of dollars, counties require public service leaders to oversee their human resource needs, administer funds and manage services. They also participate in land-use planning and in community renewal projects.
4. Financial Manager
Nonprofit organizations and government agencies at all levels require fiscal managers to direct investments and develop long-term strategies for the organization's financial goals.
5. International Finance
International financial institutions like the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank employ individuals with public administration skills to research and implement their programs.
6. National and Local Nonprofits
Nonprofit organizations like the American Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Club of America need executive directors and administrators who can plan programs, direct fundraising, oversee public relations and manage community outreach.
7. International Nonprofits
International nonprofit organizations like UNICEF need public administrators to assist with program analysis and deployment.
8. Research Analyst
Nonprofit research centers like the Pew Research Center, the RAND Corporation and The Policy & Research Group employ MPA graduates to conduct public policy, social science and demographic research.
9. Policy Expert
Nonprofit organizations like AARP employ public policy experts to identify policy issues and develop policy reform strategies.
10. Professor of Public Administration
As the demand for MPA degree programs grows, there is also an increasing demand for PA instructors in universities around the world.
To increase the visibility of careers in public service and aid in career development, the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) hosts an online career center at PublicServiceCareers.org. Another good source for information about jobs in government is OurPublicService.org.
This article was written by Director of Social Media, Alexa Scordato, on behalf of CAREEREALISM-Approved Partner, 2tor — an education technology company that partners with institutions of higher education such as UNC Chapel-Hill to deliver their online MPA degree.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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