Thomas Brennan, Professional Writer

Whether we’re applying to college, to a job, or for grants and awards, we face down a Herculean task in trying to convey the depth and complexity of our true selves in a text document. In consultation with you I’ll help pin down the objectives that are specific to the organization to which you’ll submit the document, but the number one goal is always to make your unique talents and characteristics stand out from those of your competition.

Click here to download my resume in Word, so you can see the impact of formatting as well as the value of dynamic text.

Below is the statement that helped me gain admission to the Masters in Public Administration program at CSULB.

My mission is to become an “evangelist” for effective leadership practice in public service, and comprises three objectives: to teach public administration as a professor in a university setting, to develop leadership training curricula and programs to support public service professionals, and to refine my theoretical understanding by practicing leadership in faculty governance and university administration.

Effective leadership is perhaps the single most important factor in generating successful outcomes in public service organizations, whether they are state agencies or private nonprofits. By “leadership” here I do not necessarily mean the high profile charisma of a Cesar Chavez, the willingness-to-fight of a C. Everett Koop, or the single-mindedness of a Robert Maxson, although these qualities are certainly to be counted among the tools of effective leadership. Rather, I am thinking of more down-to-earth activities of a supervisor, such as matching people’s talents accurately with objectives and strategies, inspiring staff to buy into the organization’s vision, motivating them to the highest levels of performance and productivity, empowering them with the tools, resources and autonomy they need to succeed, and nurturing in them the desire to grow and flourish in their careers.

To be sure, there is no lack of material available on the topic of leadership, in all different media and including perspectives ranging from those of popular writers such as Stephen Covey to those of rigorous academics like Edgar Schein. I intend to take what I believe is a unique approach to the subject, proceeding from the observation that a given public service organization tends to place into leadership positions individuals who have experience and expertise in the programmatic objectives of the organization, but who often do not have any training, formal or informal, in the practice of administration, let alone leadership.

Certainly it is important for such organizations to have appropriate experts in leadership roles; however, programmatic expertise does not automatically guarantee administrative acumen. While some individuals in such circumstances prove to be excellent leaders, acquiring their skill by intuition or deliberate practice, many do not: some in positions of authority think terms such as “vision” and “empowerment” are merely buzzwords, others desire leadership insight but simply do not have time to read the latest self-help bestseller, and yet others believe leadership is no more than exerting their vested authority. The organizations in the stewardship of such individuals are likely to achieve adequacy at best.

Those who have no background in public administration may yet become effective public leaders. With even a small amount of coaching an expert in Wordsworth might become an outstanding chair of an English department, a highly skilled civil engineer might become an agent of dynamic change in a public utility agency, or a pediatric nurse might become an excellent coordinator of community outreach programs.

The first step in achieving my goals, then, is to develop my own expertise by earning my masters in public administration at the Graduate Center for Public Policy and Administration. I hope to incorporate electives into my program that will allow me to expand my understanding of leadership, such as PPA 571, Leadership Skills and Dynamics, and PPA 570, Negotiating Dynamics: Strategies and Skills. Meanwhile I am cultivating an opportunity to play an increasingly more responsible role at CSULB’s Academic Advising Center, where I currently work; this will allow me to practice what I am leaning of both administration and leadership, and to do so in a university setting. After completing my masters degree I plan to apply to the doctoral program in public administration at the School of Planning, Policy, and Development at the University of Southern California. There I hope to continue my research on leadership and to develop the skills necessary to become a top-rate professor.

I am motivated by a deep and abiding commitment to enhancing the quality of life in my community. Personally I cannot think of a better way to do that than by teaching those who are making a career of public service, and by coaching those who play leadership roles in public and nonprofit organizations. An MPA from the Graduate Center for Public Policy and Administration will play a critical role in helping me achieve this goal.