Public Service

Public service is a vital career field focused on promoting the well-being of communities and ensuring that essential services are accessible to all. Professionals in this arena work across various sectors, including government, non-profit organizations, education, healthcare, and social services. Their roles can range from policy makers and social workers to educators and community organizers, each dedicated to addressing societal challenges and improving quality of life.

Timeline

Postgraduate Education (Masters of Public Policy or Public Administration)

Junior Year
Given the versatile applications of MPP or MPA degrees, there are often few, if any, truly required or preferred extracurricular activities. Instead, engage and truly invest in activities that are genuinely interesting. Secure internships or term-time jobs that may give you a taste of policy research, analysis, or application, to ensure that your interest in the degree is genuine. Begin thinking about potential recommenders, and take the GRE or GMAT.

Senior Year
Take the GRE or GMAT over the summer or early fall, if needed. Cement recommendations and finalize personal statements, resumés, and transcripts. Apply, often by December or mid-January, and — if offered by an institution — engage in an evaluative interview after submission. The timeline of results may vary, but decisions will be released throughout the early spring.

Postgraduate Employment

Sophomore through Junior Year

Begin scouring and cementing your interests: public service is broad, with endless opportunities and applications. Join student organizations that give you a taste of the field’s wide variety, from service and volunteering-oriented activities to policy research, nonprofit work, or internships within local, state, or national governments — to name a few. Make connections with employers in areas of interest and maintain those relationships ahead of a job search. If interested, look into pipeline programs, fellowships, or internships that may assist you in the job market or grant you an offer ahead of time.

Senior Year

Begin exploring opportunities for employment. Timelines vary widely by field, position, expertise, and organization-by-organization. Begin researching employment opportunities and employers’ specific timelines throughout the prior summer, and engage with recruiters or organizational staff quickly once the year starts. Finalize your resumé and other required documentation such as cover letters and references, and apply.

Career Description

Careers in public service are often multidisciplinary and nonlinear. The public sector is enriched by professionals from a variety of backgrounds, from those who enter it immediately after their undergraduate degree to individuals who leave careers in academia or the private sector for government, administrative, or nonprofit work.

Government work in the United States varies widely by level — municipal, state, or federal — as well as purview. Available postgraduate jobs may span anything from serving as a staffer within a government office or committee, to working for a nonprofit or non-governmental organization, to education, law enforcement, healthcare, and beyond.

Public sector work often merges well, and easily, with other fields. For example, those interested in pursuing a degree in law, work at plaintiff or public-interest firms often intersects with more traditional public service; opportunities are also often available within public law, such as work as a public defender or within government law. Many consulting firms readily engage in public sector consulting, where they may work closely with nonprofits or elements of government. Similarly, banks and financial institutions often contain entire departments devoted to public finance, and may work closely with governments across the United States and the world to assist in financial management.

Graduate School

Public service is an enormous field, and graduate education within it is similarly broad. Among the most popular graduate school opportunities are Masters of Public Policy or Public Administration, which educate students on the intricacies of policy issues and solutions while preparing them for longer-term careers in government, service, or the nonprofit sector. However, other graduate degrees such as law, public health, or Ph.D. programs may lend themselves well to careers in the public sector.

MPP or MPA degrees may be pursued immediately after an undergraduate degree, or at any other point within an individual’s career. Applications are fairly straightforward and often require a personal statement, resumé, letters of recommendation, and academic transcripts. Some programs require supplemental essays, video introductions, or interviews.