Master of Legal Studies: Career Options
For many students and professionals interested in working in the government, a Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degree is a useful credential to have in order to advance in their education and career — and it only takes 12 months to earn the degree. A one-year MLS...
Maintaining Employee Motivation Within the Public Sector
It is not a secret that employee engagement has a significant impact on organizational outcomes. It also is not a surprise that what motivates public sector employees is different from those within the private sector. Employee engagement can vary between individuals...
U.S. and U.K.: Why Local Government Isn’t Working
Giving ‘power to the people’ has a popular ring to it. But what power, and to which people? That question demands a clear but detailed answer in order to achieve effective and efficient local government: as a Councillor in Devon, England, I’ve been fortunate enough to...
From Active Military Duty To Active Employee
The experience embedded into you by the military - order and discipline, once key to a successful mission, can now also hurt you. Yes sir, no sir, and parade rest are commands hard to be abandoned by a seasoned member of the Armed Forces. That mindset unfortunately...
Managing Your Federal Job Search Campaign
Can you think of ways you might conduct a campaign – any kind of campaign? Three styles immediately come to mind: political, advertising, and fundraising. Your federal job search can be understood this way: In a political campaign, someone is selected based on...
MPA: The Challenges of Obtaining Your Degree
Many citizens in this country are advocates for change in their society and communities. Are you that person and that wants to grow your professional career by obtaining a degree in Public Administration? Whether you are an entry-level student with internship...
The New Candidate Driven Marketplace
In what has shifted to a very clear candidate-driven market, candidates have more opportunity for choice among the offers they are fielding. At a quick glance, this is great news for those who have been slogging through a difficult last few years. Since the recession...
Is Providing Social Support the Leader’s Job?
Many recent graduates in business and public administration find themselves valued by their “bosses” because they bring new and “cutting-edge” ideas and skills to the organization. For example, a young woman with strong analytical and methodological skills is hired...
Public-Private Partnerships: An Emergency Management Perspective
When a disaster occurs, communities must be rebuilt and survivors require reasonable care and attention. In order for this to occur, adequate funding and staffing is necessary in order to meet or exceed the necessities of those involved. Individuals whom have been...
Place Branding: The Role of Social Media
Digital technologies can change the way public administrators interact with citizens and stakeholder groups. Since their inception, these technologies have gone from one-way, static web platforms that allowed citizens to, say, pay bills online to interactive,...
Local Government: Valuing People is an Investment In Success
The need to develop a workforce to meet the current and future demands of government operations, as well as foster an environment that values people is no small task. This effort compels our need to fully understand business priorities, citizen engagement, strategic...
College Isn’t Enough Anymore
One of the most common statements recent college graduates say is, “I don’t know why I can’t find a job, even if I went to a good college.” They seem confused when they send out 50 resumes, and only get 2 responses back. Why is this the case? On the flip side,...
How To Become a Lawyer with the Federal Government
The federal government is a major employer of attorneys in the United States, and many of the most promising graduates from top law schools seek employment there. These highly sought-after positions task attorneys with determining the outcomes of many of the most...
What is a Foreign Policy Graduate Program?
One of the core functions of the U.S. government, and many governments, is to interact abroad with both state and non-state actors, such as international organizations, large corporations, terrorist organizations, and NGOs. This purposeful, strategic interaction to...
Does an MPA degree help in a career pursuit?
What if you are in a particular job that you love and you would like get promoted or advance in your organization? Obtaining a master’s degree in Public Administration or Public Policy is definitely an achievement that could assist you developing a career with lasting...
Public Speaking: A Simple Strategy for Improving Your Skills
Over the last decade I have performed public debates and speeches in four countries and three continents in a variety of venues ranging from two-person rooms to theaters with hundreds of spectators to the maximum security wing of the Oregon State Penitentiary. In all...
Show Humility For Job and Career Success
All three of my daughters have volunteered abroad (two of them are in Africa as I write). Spending time seeing the world in vastly different contexts and cultures, political and socio-economic circumstances, can be a humbling experience. We can sometimes lose...
Is an HR Career Right For You?
I have had this HR career conversation with many a person looking to get into the field of Human Resources. Often it is with either a student who has commenced their studies in HR or has just graduated from an HR program. Sometimes this discussion takes place with...