My kid has a master's in public administration but is unemployed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I' M a career director at a local university. Son needs to:

* reach out to career services office at his grad and undergrad - most colleges provide access to " Handshake Jobs Portal" even for alums
*attend Northwestern Alum events in DC
*Write to every professor he has ever had to ask for advice
* scope out careers related events at your local library + schedule meeting with librarian to review resources to use in career search
*Become active on Linkedin + join all relevant groups on LinkedIn, including his universities' alumni pages
*Search for jobs on LinkedIn on " Jobs" bar
*Search "Northwestern MPA" on Linkedin search line + then connect with those alums
*Idealist is a free job site for jobs in non-profits
*ASAE jobs free association job site
*Search job leads for free on "The Hill"; " Roll Call", and Public Affairs Council (PAC), "Tom Manatos" + "Traverse Jobs" newsletters have small subscription fees
*Google job banks for US House of Representatives and US Senate
*PMF! ( how on earth did he miss deadline)?
*Politemps (as someone wrote...generally for Dems)
*Get a host job at a place like Old Ebbitt Grill or a place on Capitol Hill to meet people
*Set up job alerts on places like indeed.com + Linkedin
*Tutor or be a sports or music coach at a private school or nice suburban public school to meet influential/connected parents
*Keep going until he gets something. Job search is not for the faint of heart. Good luck!

Thank you very much!!!

[Anonymous]

The career director offers some great advice. But the main thing for the OP and her kid to understand is that he has to do more than simply blindly send out resumes to job postings - especially in DC, networking is absolutely critical. It's very hard for many of us to do - you have to be willing to hustle and deal with awkward conversations etc etc. Very different than succeeding in an academic context.

Fwiw, an MA with one year of work experience is still very much an entry level hire. He needs to do whatever he can to get in the door and get some actual work experience.

[Anonymous]

You might be being a little hard on him I’m saying in contrast to the others on this thread. It sounds like he may not have had a great focused plan but it doesn’t sound like he’s been lazy per se. He’s always worked, he’s applying for tons of jobs, interviewing etc…

I just think those kinds of masters degrees aren’t that useful. As others have said, he’s basically like anyone with a BA almost. I graduated from an Ivy in the 90s with a poli science degree and getting that first job was really tough. I did eventually, and then a second, at fairly low salaries, and ultimately ended up going to law school.

What does he actually WANT to do? Is there a way to spin any experience he does have as less of a jack of all trades and as more of a niche (environment, trade etc) I think that can be an issue for young graduates. Their resumes look sort of generic whereas a lot of jobs want relevant experience in their niche area.

Networking is important and I also get his reluctance. When I was 22 and needed that first job it was so hard to call up random connections of family friends etc to ask about jobs and informational interviews. I did bite the bullet and do it but frankly that’s not how I got a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm. Many of these careers start out as internships or fellows in local government. I assume he has pursued that?

He can't afford an internship, and he's 24, not a kid.

I am trying to help you. Another pp said the same thing about internships/fellowships. That is how many start out, at 24 or even older.

It seems like he missed the boat on having relevant internships and summer experiences during college and grad school. Without those he’s going to start at the bottom. What did he do during his summers? I’d guess that’s a strike against him and would also guess he doesn’t interview well, which could in part be bc he doesn’t have relevant job experience to talk about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been almost 4 months, 220 job applications, a dozen interviews, no offers. I'm starting to panic. What's a good interim job for him so he doesn't become depressed and can start earning some experience and money???

Has he reached out to his school for help? Any networking with alumni?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm. Many of these careers start out as internships or fellows in local government. I assume he has pursued that?

He can't afford an internship, and he's 24, not a kid.

I am trying to help you. Another pp said the same thing about internships/fellowships. That is how many start out, at 24 or even older.

It seems like he missed the boat on having relevant internships and summer experiences during college and grad school. Without those he’s going to start at the bottom. What did he do during his summers? I’d guess that’s a strike against him and would also guess he doesn’t interview well, which could in part be bc he doesn’t have relevant job experience to talk about.

You can list your classes as experiences. This is what my young adult has done while looking for a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom/dad, please let your grown child figure this out.[/quote

For how many months do I need to continue to support him while he figures it out?

Zero! I moved out as a teenager and paid all my bills immediately, put myself through undergrad and graduate school (the latter as a single parent).

Believe me, he’ll be fine!

Pp you don'tknow this. Not everyone is you.

[Anonymous]

Use a head hunter/temp firm.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax county gov careers website.

[Anonymous]

Foot in the door
https://careerhq.asaecenter.org/jobs/19498655/membership-assistant

[Anonymous]

Think tank analyst.

[Anonymous]

This is the best piece of advice anyone ever gave me when I was younger. Don't network with people FOR help; network TO help. Cold emailing someone that doesn't know you and basically asking for any job connections will lead to a very small response rate. Email someone, say you admire their work in the industry, specifically note something they've accomplished or been working on, express your own interest in the industry, and ask if they have any side projects going that they need help with. Then do ANYTHING offered- data entry, social media posts, proof reading, managing a calendar- who cares! Get yourself any opportunity to provide value to someone whose most lacking resource is time and see how quick they're willing to help you back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm. Many of these careers start out as internships or fellows in local government. I assume he has pursued that?

He can't afford an internship, and he's 24, not a kid.

I don't even know what this means. He's got to do whatever it takes. No wonder he ended up where he ended up.

[Anonymous]

Your biggest job is to not. panic.

Your kid will figure this out. If he needs to flip burgers or wait tables for a while to pay rent, then so be it. It'll be a learning experience. If he opts to find a low paying internship to get his foot in the door, great. Four months is not that long.

Your job is an implacable, smiling, "I know job searching is rough. You are smart and hardworking. You will figure this out. I have complete confidence in you." And, it would be generous, if you have the space, to let him live rent free while he figures it out.

Keep an eye out for depression, and otherwise, treat him as an adult friend/roommate the best you can - be there for him to vent, offer advice only when explicitly asked, and try to avoid pity eyebrows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://sps.northwestern.edu/master/public-policy/index

Your son earned an online degree from the School of Professional Studies at Northwestern University ?

Typically, online part-time degrees like this are taken by working professionals who want to advance in their current job or industry. Your son needs some work experience. Holders of a degree in public policy usually work for a government agency or at a non-profit. Without any relevant work experience, your son may want to submit resumes to major law firms to work as a paralegal for two years. Base is usually in the 50s, but overtime--especially in litigation--can result in pay over $100,000.

Many universities offer degrees through professional studies divisions. These are primarily cash cow programs for the universities including schools such as Harvard & Columbia. The gist is that securing a job is almost entirely on the student.

Yes SPS but in person, not remote. Thank you. He should have gone to Maxwell at Syracuse, darn it.

Has your son remained in contact with any other members of his cohort ? If yes, what type of jobs did they get ?

Has your son contacted any of his professors regarding career suggestions ?

The accelerated full-time masters degree program involves two in person classes for each of 4 quarters. Contact Northwestern career services, classmates, and professors.

Unfortunately, admission to these type of masters degree programs is not highly competitive--and employers understand this, so relevant work experience is critical to getting a job in the field.

The Maxwell degree program offered by Syracuse University may have resulted in more DC opportunities as Maxwell offers DC based in-person courses. Makes networking easier for DC area opportunities.