Careers in San Francisco City Government Recap
On Aug. 24th, the Job Forum presented a “Careers in San Francisco Government” event. Job Forum Panelist and Moderator, Kathy Mark, a City employee herself, did a great job in finding 9 very talented City Employees who gave of their time to serve as Experts for the event. They included:
Lauran Acevedo, Employer Engagement Manager from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development
Herman Brown, Chief Information Officer for the SF District Attorney’s Office
Hazelle Fernandez, Accounting and Finance Manager in the City Administrator’s office
Naomi Jelks, Racial Equity Manager for Public Service with the SF Public Library
Bruce Robertson, Deputy Director of Financial Management & Administration at SF Public Works
Amy Nagengast, SFO’s first Energy Program Manager
Jennifer Seis, from the Controller’s Office leading the functional team responsible for supporting & enhancing the PeopleSoft revenue modules
Elise Stewart, Financial analyst at SFO
Tanzanika Carter, Assistant Sheriff, the #3 position in the Sheriff’s Dept.
The City has over 60 different departments and was well represented by the panelists with varied backgrounds and skill sets. What was apparent to all in attendance was the sincere belief in what each person was doing to contribute to the success of San Francisco.
Major points addressed:
- Where to find open positions within the City
- How to apply for Civil service positions, applications, tests, etc.
- There are many openings, you need to assess your skills and background to see where you might be a good fit
- Importance the City places on Racial and Gender Equity in hiring
- Don’t give up! Getting hired can be a lengthy process-stay in touch with connections you have made.
Appreciating the candor, each panelist said they grew to enjoy their jobs more, once they understood Civil Service, relative job security, and the generous benefits afforded them with their City employment.
They acknowledged that every Department has its own challenges, but the pros certainly outweighed the cons and each felt rewarded in their individual contributions to making the City work! Each panelist generously provided their contact information for informational interviews for the attendees.
Again, many thanks to Kathy Mark, Project Manager in IT at SFO and long-time Job Forum panelist for putting together a very informative and worthwhile event.
Written by
Kathy Knudson
