Public Sector. Throughout My Life, Term Paper

After having discussed Florida International University's Masters in Public Administration program with some of your graduates, I am very impressed with the analytical skills that your graduates acquire. I believe that analytical skills are so important because problems cannot be solved unless they have been properly analyzed, and problem-solving is the primary duty of a public-sector professional.

One of my additional intermediate goals is to increase my knowledge of the skills required to be a successful public administrator. While my work experience has given me knowledge of one area of public-sector employment, I feel that knowledge is incomplete. While I know that I want to work in a public-sector job, helping to make the community I live in a better one, I am not certain what role I want to play. Through my education, I hope to learn exactly what is required to work as personnel director, special project coordinator, and a city manager. I feel that the more I understand about each of these roles, the better prepared I will be to determine whether I should concentrate my efforts on the big picture, by working with or as the city manager, or on the smaller picture, by working with public employees or coordinating special projects. Currently, I feel as I am most effective when working on a special project, but I need to explore the big picture before ruling out work in on a city or county-wide level.Then I feel I will be able to complete my last intermediate goal, which is to determine how I will apply my Masters in Public Administration to my professional life.

My first long-term goal is to obtain an appropriate position with Miami-Dade County after completing my Masters degree. Unfortunately, this goal is not completely formed, because I have not determined what type of employment will best-allow me to assist the people in my community, which is my second long-term goal. I believe that I will be in a position to shape public policy to make the members of my community more satisfied with their life. Currently, there is a tremendous amount of disparity in quality-of-life across segments of the Miami-Dade population. I hope that by helping shape public policy, I can improve the quality of life for Miami-Dade's least privileged residents, without causing a decline in the standard of living for Miami-Dade's more privileged residents.

It is my hope that my professional goals will help me fulfill my second long-term goal, which is my only personal goal. My personal goal is to live, work, and raise my family in Miami-Dade County. I believe that if I am successful at completing my educational and professional goals, I will help make Miami-Dade County a safer, happier, and more equitable place to raise families, including….....