Career story: How to excel as a budget director

What does a day in your shoes feel like? And what are the key skills that can make or break a career in your field?

We have asked a diverse group of public servants to give us their career story. In this article, Daniel Ramos explains why prestige and the size of your paycheck shouldn’t be at the top of your list when picking your first job.

What is your role in government and how do you spend your time on a standard workday?

I am the deputy budget director for the bureau of budget and management research within Baltimore City's department of finance. On any given day I'm working on two budgets. In the current year budget, I'm helping agencies strategise about how to maximise their financial and human capital to achieve their goals. For next year's budget I'm working on initiatives like the city's 911 call centre consolidation or real estate monetisation strategy.

In your opinion, what are the most important skills someone needs to excel in your field?

I think to have a role like this, you have to be comfortable with a high degree of uncertainty.

Every day there are a million little decisions you have to make, and no great systems to give you the information you need. You need to use the best information you can get and be decisive in your decision-making. And most of all, I think people need to be self-aware enough to understand implications of their decisions, and to understand the human barriers to change.

What is your favourite part of your job? What would you change if you could wave a magic wand?

I love being at the nexus of the city's finance, operations, politics and policy. I think it's one of the few roles in the city that gives you a view from 10,000 feet of the city's current operations and future trajectory. If I could change one thing, it would be to wipe away the cynicism from people in and around city government. While we have more challenges than most, there are pockets of really strong and innovative work being done to improve the lives of everyday residents.

What advice would you give to young public servants who are interested in a career in your field?

Take jobs that will give you real responsibilities. Most people focus on title and compensation, but my experience has been that it’s way more important to leave every job with a portfolio of accomplishments. My first three professional jobs were for roles that had never existed before, so there was a lot of risk of failure, but also opportunities to prove myself in high stakes environments.

Regardless of the role is new or established, negotiate for responsibilities and priorities of the job with your employers before you start. — Daniel Ramos

If readers would like to contact me please view my profile on LinkedIn here.

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