5 Awesome Careers in Public Administration
Many of us would love to have careers in public administration which give us an opportunity to make a real and positive difference to other people’s lives, but we aren’t cut out for the most obvious roles, such as doctors, nurses, firefighters, or volunteering overseas. However, there are still a number of worthwhile and rewarding jobs available in a number of different fields, which can provide the sense of satisfaction and purpose that many people are looking for in their professional lives.
Many of the career options out there for people looking for such fulfilling and rewarding work are in the field of public administration. Public administrators are responsible for formulating and overseeing the implementation of solutions to the various challenges which face local governments when deciding how to best serve the population.
Here are just some of the many careers in public administration which will challenge, excite, and ultimately reward those who choose to pursue them.
Federal Worker
The majority of careers (although not all) in public administration are government-based jobs. The federal government is always in need of employees to staff its many departments, which operate across the entirety of the United States. Within the federal government, there are too many potential roles for a public administrator to be able to list them all here, but you can have a look at the various careers available with the federal government here.
Civil Service
Civil service jobs tend to be more people oriented. These are the kind of roles where you will work directly with citizens and residents on behalf of the government or a local agency.
Administrative Services Manager
This is a very broad career which will involve the planning and coordination of a wide range of public services. Administrative services managers are required to be adaptable and fast learners as they may find themselves rapidly transitioning between different sectors, such as education and healthcare.
City Manager
A city manager is, as the name suggests, responsible for managing the day to day running of cities and other urban areas. City managers will need to be proficient in a number of different skills. Studying for a masters in public administration (MPA) will equip students with many of these skills, but there are certain aspects of city management that come down to intuition as much as qualifications. Norwich University is one of the many renowned US universities which now offers an online MPA course. The Norwich University MPA is a valuable degree, whether earned online or offline.
Education or Public Health Administrator
These two highly specialized administrative roles will put those who undertake them at the forefront of ensuring that citizens have access to some of the most vital services they need. Not only will you need to ensure access, you will be responsible for ensuring that these services remain up to date and that the underlying infrastructure is sufficient.
A masters in public administration is an excellent first step on a number of disparate career paths. It is one of the most flexible and easily transferrable degrees out there and will all but guarantee a lifetime of employment opportunities.
14 Comments
Jerry Marquardt
I nneded a nudge to assist in helping me get going with a part time job. Any job needs to be done just right, so the information is right on cue.
Sarah L
Good reminders of the different jobs that are available.
Casey Garvey
All of these careers sound like amazing choices for different individuals. I believe Im meant to be a health aid. Everyone has a different calling.
Dana Rodriguez
These would all be fulfilling careers and the benefits should be really good. This is a great list!
Molli Taylor
ive thought about going into public administration. i wonder if it’s too late.
Edye
All of these sound like very rewarding jobs! I like the City Manager one!
CJ
Quite a few of my relatives on both my mother and father side worked for the government. They were good jobs and they were happy and felt secure in it.
Amy Green
All of these sound very interesting. I will pass these ideas along to my college-Age friends, who are considering career choices.
Judy Thomas
These are all great career paths to follow. There are always possibilities of advancement too.
Rosie
The government jobs do pay well and most have fantastic benefits, with more job security than many jobs in corporations or small employers. If you are starting out a career, it might not sound the most exciting, but when you are older, you will realize you are better off than many people who have had many layoffs, downsizings, pension freezes, you name it!
Kate Sarsfield
It’s very true; we do tend to forget about all the roles involved in supporting front-line staff.
Nancy
These are all careers to consider. It is good to help others.
Natalie
I had never thought about some of these careers. I would have loved to been a public health administrator.
michele
When I was in school I never thought about a job / career in public administration.. after reading this post there are so many diverse opportunities there.. The public health one is very appealing…