The 2019 Annual Conference will feature a full-day Student and New Professional Summit, providing this special group of new public administrators with a valuable opportunity to gain some career development resources as they get started with their new degrees.

Check out the program below and make sure you register for this event!

This event comes free with a full conference registration. You may register for just this day for only $50. Non-member students may add a 12-month membership to their registration for only $49. Contact us for more information.

2019 Student Summit and Career Roundtables

Friday, March 8 | 8:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Mayflower Hotel, Palm Court Ballroom

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Getting Started
A career in public service can mean any number of things. What level of government is of most interest to you and what topic area is most inspiring? Where are your skills best suited and what kind of schedule will work best for your work/life balance? These are all questions to consider as you start to plan life beyond your degree. Our experts will address these questions and more from his personal perspective, before you move into small group discussions to talk through your experiences thus far in determining what you want to do next in your career.
Presenter
Carol Rusaw (Retired)

8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Small Group Discussions: Personal Experiences

8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Resumes and CVs: Selling Yourself
Now that you have given some thought to your career aspirations, it’s time to tailor your resume or CV to match. Whether you’re 22 or 52, your life experiences, previous job history, skills, languages, publications, expert projects and more could fill pages. What of that is most valuable to a future employer and what of it is most relevant to what you want to do next? This workshop will walk you through dos and don’ts, frequent mistakes made and the critical details needed to be included on either a CV or a resume, depending on where your future takes you. Bring a copy of your paperwork and all of your questions; you’ll need them to make the most of this session. Q-and-A time will be provided.
Presenters:
Alexander Henderson, Associate Professor, Health Care and Public Administration, Long Island University
Saltanat Liebert, Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University
William Shields, Jr., Executive Director, American Society for Public Administration and Adjunct Professor, American University

9:45 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
Cover Letters: Why Do They Matter?
At its simplest, if your cover letter only repeats what a future employer will see on your resume or CV, you’re not writing it correctly. Cover letters are important piece of your application, no matter the job for which you are applying. We will take a few minutes to talk through how to best use a cover letter from a variety of professional angles. Experience examples, must-use language, cover letter protocol and more will be addressed.
Presenter:
Sean McCandless, University of Illinois—Springfield

10:10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Networking Break

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
The Job Search
Not all job searches are created equal and not all search engines will turn up relevant results. We will look at some of the prominent sources out there for public service jobs and careers, how to best use keyword searches to find even more opportunities and where to look creatively when standard stones are turned, to no avail. Plus, learn how to use USAJobs.gov if you’re headed toward a federal career path and what pitfalls to avoid when doing so.
Presenters:
Rashmi Chordiya, Assistant Professor, Institute of Public Service, Seattle University
Deborah Eichhorn, Recruitment Program Manager, Human Capital Office, U.S. Government Accountability Office

11:00 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.
Small Group: Job Search Resources
Break into small groups to share resources you have found helpful as you’ve begun to navigate job searches.

11:10 a.m. - Noon
The Interview
Congratulations! You have an interview. How do you make sure it goes well? Our expert will provide you with key tips, musts and nevers to ensure you make a good impression, hopefully get a call-back and, even better, get the job! Bring your questions—better to ask now than to make a mistake later!
J. Paul Blake, Retired, ASPA National Council District IV Representative

Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Networking: More Than Happy Hours and Business Cards
Need we say more? To be truly effective at networking, you must integrate it into your daily life. Yes, happy hours are helpful and you should always have business cards in your pocket—but that is because those habits are just two pieces of a larger puzzle. So are: staying connected with former colleagues and friends; checking in with acquaintances periodically to keep your name on their radar; building relationships with new contacts; knowing when to push yourself and your need onto others—and how hard to do so; and making plans for social gatherings, whether you “need” anything or not. Networking, done best, is a daily habit and yields important, regular returns. Learn how to do it well during this session.
Presenters:
Amanda Olejarski, Associate Professor, West Chester University
Kitty Wooley, Senior Fellows and Friends
For the introverts in the room, read this article about how to make the most of your introversion in networking situations.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Career Roundtables
Spend some time having group discussions with real hiring experts from across all sectors of public service. They’ll give you their real-world perspective, give you the chance to ask them questions and ask some of their own. Participants will move from table to table throughout the afternoon, getting a broad range of advice from as many of the hiring experts as possible.

3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Awards Presentation and Closing Remarks
We’ll wrap up this day with some closing thoughts and honoring this year’s student scholarship winners.
Presenter:
Chris Pierce, ASPA Student Representative