City managers act as a go between for elected city officials and the citizens of the city.To become one, you will need a Master's degree.A City Manager is not an entry-level job and you will need a lot of relevant experience.Online job boards and your contacts can help you find and apply for a job as a City Manager.
Step 1: A bachelor's degree is required.
A bachelor's degree is required for some city manager positions.You have to get your undergraduate degree first if they require graduate degrees.It's pretty open for your undergrad degree.Programs in business, public administration, urban planning, economics, and political science will help you get a good future as a city manager.
Step 2: You need to get a master's degree.
Most cities require city managers to have a graduate degree.If you want to be a city manager, you need a master's degree in public policy, public administration, or business administration.You can find quality graduate programs in public policy and administration by checking out the resources of organizations like the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration.There is a list of accredited programs on their website.
Step 3: Other skills are needed.
Communication skills are important.You may want to know more about information technology.Taking courses in English or technology while in school can help you improve your skills.
Step 4: There is an intern in the office.
If you want to get your degree in public administration, political science, or public policy, you need to complete an internship.You can get hands-on experience in public administration with an internship.You can get an internship in a city's budget, engineering, or planning departments.internship with private planning firmsIf your undergraduate or graduate programs don't require an internship, you can contact your school's career center to see if they can set you up with one.
Step 5: If you are interested in an entry-level position, apply.
It is not an entry-level position to get a City Manager position right out of school.Finance, planning, and engineering are some of the city administration departments.All the openings in the city's administrative offices can be found on the "Careers" page on most cities' official websites.Entry-level positions are listed.
Step 6: Look for opportunities for advancement
You will want to start working on moving up once you have an entry-level position.There are opportunities to move into a supervisor or manager position in your department.You could become an assistant city manager.Let your superiors know that you want to move up in your job.As new opportunities open up, this keeps you up to date.New, higher-level positions can be found on the careers page of the city's website.It might take a few tries to get into a higher-level job.It will take time to move up within the city's administration.Outside of the current city you work in, you can look for advancement opportunities.
Step 7: You should write a resume.
Your resume should include your degrees, any internships or work experience you have related to city management, and a list of references.You can ask your career services office to help you create your first resume if you are still in school.
Step 8: Search online for jobs.
There are open assistant city manager and city Manager positions.If you want to work in a specific area, you can narrow down the results by state or metropolitan area.Search terms that will lead to city manager positions are "city manager," "assistant citymanager," and " city planner."
Step 9: Find city jobs.
All of the current openings in the city can be found on the official websites of most cities.There are city manager positions here.If you wait too long, you might miss an opportunity, as most cities only post openings for a week.
Step 10: You can use your network to find jobs.
You will be building a network of other students, professors, and superiors as you work your way up through city administration.If you want to find a new job, ask these people if they know of any openings.The International City Management Association is a professional organization that can help you build your network.