Jason Vanger ‘27, Alicia Kaufmann ‘27,
Staff Editors
On Tuesday, September 24, the Public Service Center hosted the fifth and final installment of its Real Deal series, a program focused on hearing from current professionals in public service-related jobs. Last week’s panel was dedicated solely to government careers. While snacking on sandwiches and oatmeal raisin cookies, students heard from Robyn Bitner ’14, Yan Gao ’15, Cassondra “CJ” Murphy ’18, and Megan Watkins ’16. Full bios of the panelists, with more detailed descriptions of their positions, can be found on the Public Service Center website.[1] The panel was facilitated by Assistant Dean for Public Service Ryan Faulconer ’08, who posed questions about their positions and solicited advice for folks interested in pursuing a career in the government.
Faulconer opened with a positive, “What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?” Bitner, a trial attorney in the Special Litigation Section at the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division whose work involves investigating violations of children’s rights in juvenile justice systems, started the panel off strong, saying “to work on behalf of kids that have been written off.” Murphy, an Assistant Counsel with the U.S. Senate Office of the Legislative Counsel, spends her days helping Senators, committees, and their staff turn proposed policy into legislative text. She expressed that being a part of drafting important legislation is the most fulfilling to her. Gao, a General Attorney in the Mergers 1 Division of the Bureau of Competition within the FTC, compared his experience as a first-year attorney at the FTC to those at a Big Law firm. Rather than reviewing documents, at the FTC you are thrown into the deep end and quickly get first hand experience while being supported by higher-ups.
The panelists were then asked to speak on the most challenging aspects of their positions. Watkins, a deputy attorney in the Henrico County Attorney’s Office, leads the office’s School Law Practice group where she represents the Henrico County School Board and school administration. She explained that since she is so “embedded with her client,” she is always on call to hear concerns, so at times it feels like there is no privacy. “Even in the bathroom stall,” she joked (not jokingly at all), “people will keep talking to me.” Murphy followed, expressing that her schedule is “very client driven,” so it changes a lot based on Senate activities.
Faulconer then posed the age-old question, “How do you handle the government salaries?” The panelists were refreshingly honest and transparent in their responses to this question. While I will not publish their honesty, they admit that government salaries can be found online. All panelists acknowledged that while they may not drive luxury cars, they are able to live very comfortably. Murphy explained that government employers are much more transparent about pay and total benefit packages during the recruiting process than firms are. Bitner and Gao also advised to keep earning potential in mind when contemplating positions.
Asked about advice for current 1Ls, the speakers agreed that students should be open to trying new opportunities and should recognize that their long-term careers may be different from what they expect now. Bitner suggested that students avoid putting too much pressure on any one job to be “the job.” She encouraged them to take jobs because something about it excites them and not to be afraid to leave a job if necessary. Watkins recalled that she had received unexpected job offers from employers who had seen her performance. Students should “put your best foot forward in everything you do” because you never know who is watching, she said.
The panelists also gave more concrete examples of experiences that helped them get to where they are now. Most panelists had summer internships in government or other public interest paths. Gao highly recommended externships, crediting one with his career after graduation. “The bar for getting these great opportunities is so low” for students, he said, but gets higher for graduates, so they should take advantage of it now. Faulconer interjected to add that experiences that rule out a career can be just as useful as ones that open a path. Murphy also noted that the timeline for public service jobs is different from the private sector and told students not to panic if some of their friends have job offers before they do.
The panelists spoke about other aspects of government work. For example, Faulconer asked them to name agencies that they have heard are especially good to work for. Murphy said that the Congressional Research Service, which advises members of Congress on policy matters, would be a good choice for students interested in policy research. Gao said that he had a lot of respect for the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice, which does similar work to the FTC. Bitner suggested that students might be interested in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or the Department of Education as both do work on student loans.
One audience member asked how politics impacts the panelists’ work. Most panelists saw the impact as relatively minor and enjoyed the nonpartisan nature of their careers. As Gao put it, “If I were not tuned in to the news, I couldn’t tell who’s in charge.” However, Watkins said that there is a chance that elections can change clients’ focus dramatically and suggested that students ask about the impact of politics in interviews. Bitner said that learning how to adapt messaging to different administrations is an important skill.
Students who are interested in government careers should look out for Federal Government Career Day on October 23.
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[1] https://www.law.virginia.edu/protected/public-service/real-deal-government.