Going back to school for progressive cause

[bayareamike]

Hi all, I have a question that I'm hoping someone can help me with!

I graduated from UC Berkeley a year ago and have been working at a law firm in the Bay Area since that time. However, I'm interested in going to grad school -- at one point I wanted to be an attorney, however I've changed my mind about that path -- to pursue a career in public service.

I am wondering about the value of a MPA/MPP degree. I want to, ideally, earn one of these degrees and use it to work either in government or for a nonprofit to promote progressive causes. I am wondering if it'll be a good degree to have! If anyone has either one of these degrees, I'd greatly appreciate some input! Thanks a million!

[Flaxbee]

1. Well, if you could get a law degree and focus on public service, that's also an option

though I don't blame you a bit for avoiding law school; I was a lawyer for about a decade (corporate law) and it just didn't "fit".

Law school did make me a very good strategist, and a strong advocate. I learned very quickly how to work around a lot of the bullshit that people throw at you, and how to craft an argument or position. The degree is a useful tool, even if you're not in a firm.

What are you good at? I don't know the value of an MPA/MPP degree - it might just be excess baggage with no real benefit. Are you a good public speaker? Good with computers? Are you a good writer? Are you charismatic, and able to convince people to donate money to the cause? Good fundraisers are always in demand. And lots of academic degrees don't necessarily translate to real-world skills that nonprofits need.

A friend of mine has her master's in city planning; she now works for a senator after having been a county planner for a while. She can write quite well, and being a county planner honed her awareness of community needs and developed her ability to be very diplomatic when dealing with developers vs. preservationists.

It may be useful to first determine your strengths and how those could be best applied to government or nonprofits, and explore an advanced degree in that field rather than getting a blanket degree.



rbnyc sometimes pops in; she's very active in the nonprofit community. I'm kicking this so others chime in.

Good luck!

[Chan790]

2. Go get the NPO job first.

Once you have experience, years worth, MPA/MPP can be the difference in upward career mobility, especially in a large organization. (Having spent roughly 10 years in and out of the NPO sector and acquiring skills, I'm considering going back P/T to get my MPA. I'd say its' premature for anybody looking to work in NPOs until they're five+ years into a career.)

Right now, not a worthwhile pursuit...it might make you less hireable actually, employers will assume you're less likely to take the crappy low-pay job that marks entry-level in that field. Unless you're in a specialized skill necessary to the organization (like geology or social-work or a medical background), there is no getting hired above poverty-wage entry-level...it's a rite-of-passage thing. Everybody puts in the long-hours/low-pay...then once you've learned something and put in the time, you start to move up and even one level up from entry-level the pay jumps substantially.