Career

PMF: Presidential Management Fellowship — or Frustration?

It’s a long, sordid story, but the moral is simple: Beware what you ask for — you might get it! A little background: Back in 2007, I was so happy. The Presidential Management Fellowship program office “popped the cap”—they allowed universities to nominate an unlimited number of graduating students for the prestigious PMF program. Previously,Read… Read more »

Want to Be Seen as Professional? 3 Important Tips

Professionalism in the workplace is a hot topic. Being a “professional” portrays various images based on your perception of its definition. So, what’s your perception? We often think of a suited-up individual with a briefcase. Professionalism is often associated with competence and skill. However, being a skilled employee is not the same as being aRead… Read more »

Another One Bites the Dust? Cybersecurity Done Right on DorobekINSIDER Live

A special edition of GovLoop’s DorobekINSIDER was held Wednesday. We’re LIVE! We host these events once each month this year. The idea is simple: get smart people together and share ideas — because we believe that the real power of information comes when it is shared. Let’s get one thing straight, your data is atRead… Read more »

Let’s Get Technical

A while back I had an opportunity to participate in a lunch and learn about this topic and thought these big take-aways would be great to share. Today’s workforce is a blend of Ernest Hemingway’s “Lost Generation,” Jack Kerouac’s “Beat Generation,” Timothy Leary’s Vietnam-era Generation and Generation Y (I couldn’t quite decide what literary workRead… Read more »

Here’s Looking at You, Kid – You’re a Government Rock Star

In high school, I was a cheerleader. Pom poms and football games were my Friday night. That might not sound like a good time for many, but for me, it was the ultimate. Why? Because I honestly believe that people perform better when their good work is recognized – and I loved rooting for othersRead… Read more »

Lessons from Jill Abramson’s Departure

The firing of Jill Abramson, former executive editor for the New York Times, is still making headlines a week later mainly because she is a female executive who might have been ousted for being pushy and brusque. She also may have gotten a bad rap for questioning why her compensation was less than her maleRead… Read more »

Life Lessons Applicable to the Public Sector

Collectivism is a core concept in public service. In my last post, I introduced the concept of leading without a title (insert hyperlink to that blog post). So much of our personal development happens outside the office. Our life experiences, personal lives and hobbies paint a picture of our values, ethics and interests. Reflection isRead… Read more »

Are Private Contractors the New Federal Workforce?

Last Sunday was graduation day at Duke. In our Master of Public Policy program, over half of the graduating students are employed, and over half of those employed are going to work for government consulting firms. Their salaries are about 20% higher than those who are working in government jobs, and they have been impressedRead… Read more »