How to Land a Local Government Job, with Serilda Summers-McGee

Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips for Finding Work, Advancing your Career, and Loving Your Job

If you have the desire to work in local government, you may wonder what you can do to have the best shot at an open position. Some of these positions receive hundreds of applications and the hiring process can be grueling. Today’s guest on the Find Your Dream Job podcast, Serilda Summers-McGee, says that relationships matter more than ever when pursuing a local government job. She tells us that the first relationship you build should be with a recruiter. You also need to understand how the local hiring process works and be ready to face stringent deadlines. If you want to serve your local city or town, learn how to stand out from the crowd and what you can do now to help your chances of getting the job you want later.

About Our Guest:

Serilda Summers-McGee (linkedin.com/in/serilda-summers-mcgee-mba-m-ed-8222964/) is the chief human resources officer for the City of Portland. She has more than 15 years of experience in human capital management with expertise in a range of HR disciplines. She’s also the author of Change The WorkGame: Building and Sustaining a Diverse Workforce.

Resources in This Episode:

• Serilda’s book, Change The WorkGame: Building and Sustaining a Diverse Workforce, contains strategies that will help any employer establish and maintain a diverse workforce throughout all strata of their business.
• Read more about Serilda’s work on the City of Portland website (www.portlandoregon.gov/bhr/26588).
• Your presence online is critical in order for employers to find you. Learn how to use your social media to make a favorable impression with a free resource from Mac’s List. Visit maclist.org/wow to download “How to Wow and Woo Employers Online.”