The labor market is changing rapidly. On a global scale, this is driven largely by the constant need for both new and seasoned workers to master fresh skills as jobs try to keep pace and evolve alongside the rise of automation. Since 2015, required skills to be successful in a job have changed by a staggering 25% in the face of unprecedented technological change, with this number projected to double by 2027. Never has this been more apparent than in today’s public policy landscape. With historic advances in science, technology and innovation shaping policy on a global scale, policymakers play a critical role in the future of the labor market.
UMD School of Public Policy’s dedicated Career Services team has met these advances head on. They offer many specialized resources to meet students’ career readiness needs. Director Bryan Kempton and Coordinator Hardeep Chowdhary encourage all policy students to use these excellent resources before they graduate so they will have an edge as they embark on their policy career search.
Here are the 6 resources policy students should take advantage of before they graduate:
- Career Readiness Support and Counseling – All policy students have access to our dedicated Career Services team to help them navigate the job search process, sharpen their skills, and provide support and counsel in every facet of their career search. Students are strongly encouraged to seek out this resource, as our Career Services team provides individualized attention and support, offering both walk-in and scheduled counseling appointments of 30 or 60 minutes.
- Professional Development Workshops – Career Services hosts regular workshops on topics including résumé and cover letter writing, interviewing, job searching and networking. Additional programs address leveraging social media in the job search, demystifying the security clearance process, and navigating the Federal Government’s Pathways hiring program. These workshops ensure that students' skill sets remain sharp and relevant, and that those skills continue to evolve with the changing policy landscape.
- Relationships with faculty, staff and employers – It is critical to build and foster relationships with the faculty, staff and employers whom you have liaised with over the years. This support system is in place to help ensure student success leading up to graduation. Faculty and staff provide support, knowledge and guidance to students on their policy journey.
- Robust network of alumni – The majority of the School’s 3,500+ alumni are located in DC, Maryland and Virginia. They are a very reachable distance for students to engage in networking activities or to help facilitate internships and job searching. The School’s strong relationship with its alumni helps to facilitate internships for students with their employer partners, allowing students to gain real-world policy experience through experiential learning.
- UMDPolicyJobs – SPP students and alumni enjoy exclusive access to hundreds of policy-relevant internships and jobs posted weekly, as well as access to employer contacts.
- Job boards that are exclusive to policy students – Career Services ensures that students have access to and can navigate some of the country’s most exclusive policy job boards, including Tom Manatos Jobs, Daybook Jobs and EcoJobs.
As technology continues to grow and reshape our world, it’s more critical than ever for policy students to focus on building their repertoire of skills rather than their résumés alone and utilizing the tools at their disposal. Companies looking to hire quality employees are placing increased emphasis on a candidate’s skills and their ability to demonstrate how those skills will translate into success in the position to which they are applying.
With our dedicated Career Services team identifying students' needs, developing effective strategies to help them achieve their goals, and positioning them with internships and real-world experience, policy students are primed for successful entry into the workforce as they prepare to become tomorrow’s changemakers