The question that still lights me up

A college student reached out to me recently and asked two questions: what brought me to local government, and would I recommend it? That question lit me up.

Yes, it’s stable. Yes, the benefits are genuinely good. But that’s not really why I’d tell someone to do it. What I’d say is this: there’s nothing like helping your community and watching the direct impact of your work reach people’s daily lives. It truly gives you purpose.

I won’t pretend it’s easy. The work can be tough and the hiring process itself can be genuinely frustrating. Don’t give up. If you have a giving heart, the reward makes all of it worth it and you will find your place.

Where do your skills fit?

Local government runs on dozens of departments, including finance, public works, parks and recreation, communications, information technology, and more, each needing different skills. Customer service background? Consider permit counters or utility billing. Experience with project coordination? Public works or parks and recreation could be a good fit. Good with numbers? Finance and budget could be your happy place. Trades or technical skills? Public works and utilities need great people. Education or nonprofit background? Look into recreation programming or libraries.

How to search GovernmentJobs.com

If you are new to local government, visit GovernmentJobs.com and start your search by leaving the job title field blank and simply entering your zip code or city. Next, narrow the results using the filters: distance, job type (part-time/full-time), desired salary range, or specific employer. That combination will surface roles you’d never find by browsing titles alone.

Read the posting, not just the title

Once you have a list of results, don’t judge based on the title. Spend time reviewing the postings for the essential functions and desired qualifications (our guide to reading a government job announcement walks through how). Take the time to actually open the posting and read what the role involves before deciding it’s not for you, or that it is. You may find something you never considered before.

Make it a habit

Make this a habit, not a one-time search. New postings go up constantly, so check back every few days and only apply to the ones that truly speak to you. Fewer meaningful applications are better than a volume of generic ones.

If you have a giving heart, local government has a place for you. You just have to find where your particular skills fit.

Insider tip: If you’re not sure where you’d fit, email me at hello@publicrise.org and tell me a bit about your background. I read every message.

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