Overview of Careers in the New Public Sector
What makes a professional career in public service so unique is the emphasis on
tackling "pressing public problems" -- the challenging issues that define the public
agenda and call for talented individuals to devote their efforts to finding solutions.
Here are just a few of the "pressing problems" on the agenda today:
- Managing global climate change and controlling its underlying causes such as carbon emissions
- Supplying food, energy and clean water to the growing populations in developing countries
- Securing the United States and other countries against
the possibility of chemical, biological and nuclear terrorism
- Redeveloping older urban areas that have lost their economic
base in manufacturing
- Transitioning recently incarcerated persons into productive,
nonviolent lives in society
- Ending the epidemic of HIV infection in developed and developing
countries.
- Providing quality education and health care to children
living in poverty.
These high profile problems are only a piece of the entire picture of public service
careers. Many worthwhile careers in the new public sector are devoted to providing
absolutely vital daily services to the public in cities, counties, states and nations
around the world. Professionals in these careers often must tackle very challenging
problems such as expanding services to meet the needs of changing populations without
necessarily raising taxes, implementing information technologies that better connect
citizens to their governments, and improving responses to natural disasters. Employment
demand for professionals to provide leadership, financial management, policy analysis
and other such skills has never been stronger.
Where to work?: Main
Job Sectors for MPA/MPP Grads to Work in
The degree is so flexible
you can jump from job to job and sector to sector as you see fit.
Click the work areas below that
most interest you and see examples of real jobs held by MPA/MPP’s.
Nonprofit
International
Government & Politics (any/all levels)
Health
Environmental/Natural Resource Management
Education
Consulting/Private Sector
Media and Public Affairs
Challenges of the New Public Sector.
The "new public sector" refers to the complex network of relationships among organizations
that has emerged over the past thirty years in response to the realities of today's
public policy and public administration needs. Whereas a public service career once
meant government employment, we now recognize the connections between governments,
nonprofits, NGOs the private sector, and universities. Persons employed in any of
these types of organizations can have highly productive careers that contribute
directly the public good.
Professional
public service today thus offers many career opportunities including those in governments
at all levels, in nonprofit organizations and NGOs, in higher education, and in
private sector companies that work under contract to governments. These opportunities
provide good pay and benefits, numerous choices of where to work in the United States
and around the world, and resources for further training and education.
Public Service Careers.org – Public Sector Job Site
The www.PublicServiceCareers.org hosts valuable information on degrees and
why individuals might consider working in public service.
The sites offers real examples of real people in real public sector jobs.
It is the only comprehensive nationwide job search and career site for those wanting
to work in the ‘new’ public sector: Government, Nonprofits/NGOs, International organizations
or Consulting firms.
Whether you are fresh out of college,
a “veteran” of the public sector or a Ph.D in academia, this site can help you find
a new job and sustain a career. Inside you will discover plenty of career advice/articles,
personal profiles on accomplished public servants, information on graduate degrees
(the MPA & MPP) as well as information on key events in the world of public
service.
You can set up personal job alerts, an RSS feed for auto job updates and search
for jobs in several different ways to get the one you want
Salary Information
(Click to View)