Last fall, I represented the Government of Canada at the United Nations in New York. One of my roles was to attend high-level events at September’s Sustainable Development Summit, which led to the adoption of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

I was struck by the range of stakeholders – especially young people – that participated in this international effort, including those from politics, government, academia, civil society, international organizations, media, and the private sector. It made the Career choices available to ambitious Policy professionals seem very diverse, particularly in today’s world, where rapidly flowing and easily accessible information allows a plethora of voices to have their say.

The politicians delivered the big speeches and the participants from outside government shared their views, but the public servants laid the groundwork for the Summit and are now largely responsible for implementing the results. Indeed, the Public Service employs the majority of policy professionals in the Western world and beyond, which poses an interesting choice for many of today’s brightest policy minds. While some are interested in public service careers, many want to keep their options open for a stint in politics or other sectors that have a stake in the policy world. This desire reflects a labour market in which professionals are less likely to stay with one organization for a lifetime than they were in past generations.

Thankfully, there are three simple things that young, Ambitious Policy Professionals can do to get the most out of their careers in the public service while keeping their options open for other influential policy roles down the line.

Be dedicated

In Western countries, the public service is a non-partisan organization that provides objective policy advice to elected politicians and implements the resulting decisions in an unbiased way. Policy professionals cannot perform public service and political roles simultaneously, as this would be a conflict of interest; they must choose one path at a time. This separation is usually enforced by rules that restrict political activity by bureaucrats and prevent political staffers from abusing their positions.

In Canada, bureaucrats can fill non-partisan or administrative roles in Minister’s Offices, but such assignments are rare and are usually bestowed upon stellar performers in the most visible public service roles. In general, those that crave only the high-octane atmosphere of politics should apply for roles as political staffers, while those that would be too frustrated trying to influence policy in government should work in other sectors. As we will see below, those that do pursue dynamic policy careers in the public service will develop a highly marketable skillset that is transferrable to key policy roles in other sectors.

Choose wisely

The next step is to choose the right level of government. For example, Canada’s federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments have jurisdiction over different public policy issues. The way departments or ministries are organized depends in large part on the political party in power and the fiscal outlook. Ambitious professionals should consider whether they want to influence policy at the local, regional, national or international level, and how the political and fiscal climate in their region of choice could affect their career prospects. They should also keep in mind that each jurisdiction and policy issue comes with its own stakeholders – other players in the same policy space that could become key contacts down the line.

Regardless of the level of government they choose, pushing paper at an obscure agency is not an option for those who want to be in the middle of the action. Ambitious policy professionals should target the public service careers that are closest to the big decisions. In Canada’s federal government, that means the Central Agencies – Privy Council Office, Treasury Board Secretariat, and Department of Finance – as well as positions dealing with justice, national security and defence, and international issues. These roles are often exposed to a similar atmosphere and “buzz” found in the political sector, making the experience transferrable to other high-profile policy careers. At the provincial, territorial and municipal levels, the departments that serve the Premier or Mayor, as well as roles that deal with public finances and manage relations with other levels of government, are excellent career choices.

Fill the toolbox 

After they choose their niche within the public service, ambitious policy professionals should focus on developing their skills. Public policy is about making informed decisions to solve real-world problems, and successful policy advisors share a universal skillset that helps them enable these solutions. Their work starts by finding the right information – which is often absurd in quantity and complicated in nature – continues by analyzing and simplifying the findings, culminates in formulating solutions, and concludes with communicating the final product to decision-makers in flawless verbal and written form. These communication skills also allow policy professionals to make and maintain contacts with key stakeholders, which can pay dividends if they seek a career change in the future.

In many ways, these abilities are universal recipes for success in any career. But they are especially transferrable to other high-profile policy roles in political offices, lobby groups, consulting firms, and the media. When it comes to challenging work and long hours, those are not run-of-the-mill employers. But the brightest policy minds are not run-of-the-mill employees.

Those that excel in the most dynamic public service careers will find themselves with a seat at the table when the big decisions are made, and will be able to envision themselves sitting at that table in a variety of different roles. With dedication, wise choices, and a toolbox filled with the right skills, ambitious policy professionals can help build the next UN Development Goals – from within or outside the public service.

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