SMU alumni and other professionals spoke to students on working in government and nonprofit in the Brown Bag discussion “Careers in Government and Nonprofit” on Wednesday.
The panelists discussed what they do and how they got there, in addition to sharing information about jobs and internships with their organizations.
“My goal in life is to be a good listener. It’s important in business,” said Robert Bernal, accountant for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Bernal added he experiences difficulty on the job when his mind tends to drift, and that learning to listen remains a daily challenge.
For more information on the Health Resources and Services Administration, visit www.hrsa.gov.
Keith Jescavage, a field officer for the FBI, admitted paperwork compromised much of his job.
Serving in the Marines for seven years and working for the FBI for 10 years, Jescavage admitted that “television and movies are not reality.”
“I don’t like [the paperwork], but I have to deal with it,” Jescavage added.
Jescavage said any students interested in pursuing a career with the FBI should pursue a degree in political science, business, medicine, law or engineering and should also be persistent and competitive.
“If I can get in, then you can get in,” Jescavage said. Students wishing to learn more about FBI jobs should visit www.fbijobs.com.
SMU alum Stacy Eppers spoke about her experiences working for the Department of Family and Protective Services. Epper said her job entails helping caseworkers get what is required for kids in need. Like Jescavage, her job involves a large amount of paperwork. Epper’s daily struggles include dealing with a “lack of funding and staff,” “never knowing what will happen next” and “maintaining flexibility.”
Eppers said people in her career are asked to do both boring and exciting tasks, and that students desiring a job in the Department of Family and Protective Services must be enthusiastic and ready to be thrown into a job. For more information on the DFPS, visit www.dfps.state.tx.us.
Mandy Lewis, an assistant in The Trinity Trust Foundation and a program assistant for the Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture, said she, like Eppers, deals with time flexibility conflicts. Lewis stated that working in nonprofit is “all about who you know,” and that networking for positions demands participating in volunteer organizations and projects.
Information regarding The Trinity Trust Foundation may be found on www.communitypartnershipdallas.com. For information on the Department of Family and Protective Services, visit www.dfps.state.tx.us.
Jeff Jordan said his job working as a public health analyst for the Health Resources and Service Administration requires the ability to “convey thoughts on paper” and know how “different cultures respond to different diseases and different lifestyles.”Jordan also stressed the importance of developing strong writing and computer skills and knowing public health issues.
Job postings can be found on www.usajobs.com, a Web site hosted by the U.S. Office of Personnel.
Students questioned each speaker following the lecture. One frequently asked question was how to acquire internships from each organization. The panelists concurred that the best method of learning about internship opportunities was to visit each Web site.
