Career story: management and program analyst

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’ve asked a diverse group of Apolitical members to share their career story with us and the tips they have for junior public servants. In this article, Justin Bigelow explains why it’s important not to accept the way things are as the way they have to be, in their role as a management and program analyst.

What is your current job title?

Management and Program Analyst

How do you spend most of your time on an average day?

The one constant across my days is variability. Generally speaking, I provide administrative support for my supervisor, the chief of staff for my sub-division (which is one step below the agency's top-level organization), as well as our sub-division leadership (Associate and Principle Deputy Associate Administrators).

What this actually entails can include coordinating responses/comments for congressional review requests (US Congress asks agencies for policy & implementation recommendations), as well as regulatory review requests from the executive office of the President. I am responsible for the day-to-day implementation of many of our office's strategic initiatives relating to employee engagement, and this involves everything from coordinating our office newsletter to analyzing respondent data from the annual federal employee satisfaction survey and designing our engagement action plan, monitoring progress over the year, and ensuring we are meeting our defined success measures.

I spend more time than I'd like on email, but communication & coordinating activities do take a significant amount of my time. And while it might feel like it's "taking away" from getting other tasks & activities done, nurturing relationships through good communication cannot be an afterthought.

What did you do before?

My last position in the private sector was a program specialist for a US-based international development small business, primarily tracking progress on projects being implemented in West Africa, Central/South Asia, and the Middle East for the US State Department and US Agency for International Development.

What are the most important skills someone needs to excel in your field?

Adaptability, flexibility, willingness to learn, time management/juggling priorities.

What's the best part of your job?

When I get to help my colleagues find ways to do their jobs more effectively or more efficiently! I joined the government ultimately because I believe in helping people, and while I don't work directly with the public, I can help by doing my small part to make government work a little better for the people it's meant to serve.

What advice would you give to future public servants interested in a career in your field?

Don't accept the way things are as the way they have to be. A lot of processes is the way it is because "that's just how we do it." You have to be willing to push back on that, to question it, to find out why. New isn't always better, but "just because" is never an acceptable answer.

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