Career Development
Master's in Public Administration
Career Development
Career Development Program
In addition to an excellent academic experience, we offer a career development program to prepare our students and alumni to succeed in the professional world. The program includes a semester-long group seminar and ongoing one-on-one coaching. These services help students improve their self-understanding, identify roles for which they are best suited, and develop hard and soft skills to forge successful careers that maximize both social impact and personal fulfillment.
MPA Career Development Seminar
Our two-part seminar is carefully sequenced to guide students through a process of introspection followed by the acquisition of key skills. In Part 1, students explore what motivates them to work for social change. They identify their core values and strengths, clarify the social issues that move them the most, and learn about roles they can play as changemakers. In Part 2, they learn practical skills, including networking and personal branding, writing effective resumes and cover letters, and mastering common interview scenarios. The seminar is tuition-free and not for academic credit. It runs parallel to MPA coursework and meets in person every two weeks, with regular assignments on Blackboard. Students who attend every in-class session and complete all assignments satisfactorily are eligible for a scholarship of $250 for each part of the seminar, or $500 for the whole seminar.
One-on-One Consulting
Students can make appointments for 30-minute coaching sessions. The goal of these one-on-one sessions is to adapt to students' unique needs at distinct points along their career paths. Consultations may focus on a range of topics, depending on the student's needs:
- Writing and revising resumes and cover letters
- Using online platforms for career development
- Building a network in one's area of interest
- Video-recorded mock interviews
- Strategic career planning to align MPA coursework with career goals
- Support with applications to jobs, internships, and fellowships
The MPA Program also helps students connect to opportunites through the following resources:
- Visits from recruiters
- Job, internship, and fellowship listings
- LinkedIn professional group
- Collaboration with career fairs and networking events
Appointments
To schedule appointments and for additional information, please contact:
James Suggett
Program Manager, Career Development
212-650-5810
jsuggett@ccny.cuny.edu