Composing Your Career
Smart
At Wagner, we want you to be smart: We want you to choose your classes wisely, be thoughtful with your class assignments, get to know professors, and keep up on readings in your field(s) of interest.
Academics
Whatever the program and specialization you're in and whatever courses you are taking, we want to draw your attention to the opportunities to explore CYC within your classes, as they offer multiple venues for this exploration. In the intro management class, Managing Public Service Organizations, teams form and get to select an organization to use as a case study. In the intro policy class, Introduction to Public Policy, students select a policy issue to explore. Many specialization courses and electives also offer students a chance to focus an assignment on a topic or organization of their choice. Our advice is to be strategic about each of these choices. Consider what you are working on learning and maximize the opportunities given you as a student to meet the people you want to meet or to learn more about an organization in your field of interest.
Guiding Questions
- What opportunities are there in my courses to use assignments as a way to further my career exploration? (e.g. is there an organization in my field of interest that I can use as a case study for a project?)
- How can I use an assignment to interview someone in a role I am interested in pursuing?
- What elective courses should I take? (e.g. do I want to hone my finance skills, do I want a broad knowledge of environmental issues?)
- Are there courses outside of Wagner that I should explore (e.g. NYU School of Law, the Stern School of Business, transportation management and planning courses at Polytechnic University?)
- How can I take advantage of academic advisement? (e.g. which professors have done research or are working in my fields of interest, are there additional professors' office hours that I should take advantage of?)
- Are there self study/reading opportunities?
- Should I form or join a study group of students who share a particular interest?
Resources
- Faculty Advisor
- Faculty (either your own professors or those who are involved in research that is of interest to you)
- Adjunct Faculty (look for professional affiliations of current adjunct faculty)
- Program Administrators
- Classmates (talk to them!)
- Alumni
Next Steps
Identify what it is you are trying to learn more about each semester and review class by class where the opportunities are. And make sure to take your prerequisite courses first.
Readings in your field
Learning is a life-long process and developing the habit of reading professionally-related work is a key aspect of that process. While in school, you will have plenty of reading assignments, but even then, there are additional readings that can inform and enhance your understanding of field, role and topic. We would encourage you to use the time you are in school to set the lifelong "reading professionally-related work" habit so you can stay up-to-date and informed over time.
Guiding Questions
- What reading do I now do in my field?
- What are professionals in my field reading? What does the faculty read?
- What books or publications are most often cited or mentioned as having influenced the field?
- In addition to printed material, are there on-line resources with which I should be keeping up?
Resources
Next Steps
It may seem hard to find the time to take on more reading while you are in school, but reading more broadly can, among other things, keep you in touch with the main players in your field, what policy issues loom large, and how the external environment is shifting in ways that impact your field. Note the authors whose work had the most impact on you from class assignments and see what else they have written. Talk to professionals in the field and ask what they read. Ask faculty. Make lists. Collect material to read. Make time. Consider a professional "book group."
We suggest getting started with some of the following:
- Urban Planning:
- Health:
- Finance:
- International:
- Nonprofit:
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I made a two year plan with every class I would take until graduation ... 