One of the first questions I ask any candidate who is applying for a role with our company is "Why are you interested in working here?" I use this question, not as an ego trip of "tell me why we're so good", but rather to see how much the candidate knows about us, and...
Make Your Media Interview a Success!
For many professionals in government, interacting with the media is an unwritten part of their job description. Media interviews can happen when your department’s public information officer asks for coverage of news, or when a reporter comes to your organization for a...
Turning Boredom into Innovation
It’s that time of year when we tend to get the winter blahs. The holidays are over, we’ve lost steam on our New Year’s resolutions, and spring is not yet on the horizon. Blah, blah, blah. How do we turn our dissatisfaction with the doldrums into creative new ideas?...
Public Infrastructure Projects & The Future of Private Sector Investment
During President Obama’s latest State of the Union address, he encouraged more private sector investment in public infrastructure projects. His proposal outlines the application of Qualified Public Infrastructure Bonds, or QPIBs, which would expand a previously...
Place Branding: A Strategic Road Map
A simple online news search for the term “city branding” yields results from cities as varied as Fargo, North Dakota, Wichita, Kansas, and Hermiston, Oregon. While the core of my research focuses on how U.S. cities undertake brand identity strategies, this practice is...
Internships in Local Government: My Personal Journey
Many universities require seniors to complete an internship in order to learn more about their proposed career. My major, criminal justice, required one and I was told this would give me experience to put on my resume and make me more attractive to employers. I...
Self Promotion Is Not Just About You
People are too busy today to go out of their way to find, recognize, and reward you in the workplace. The good news is that you can create the visibility and credibility you need to move your career forward. You can control how others perceive you in the work...
Women Leading Local Government
The International Association of City/County Management (ICMA) recently published an article detailing how only 13 percent of local government managers are female. When I read the article, my initial reaction was how is this possible? In this post I will answer this...
Your Secret Career Advantage
You leave an imprint throughout your life on other people, and vice versa, sometimes faint and slight, at other times clear and strong. You are subtly altered or touched in some way each time you cross paths with someone through the uncharted waters of your life. An...