The following sampling of tools and resources should be combined with your own research. We suggest you use targeted keyword searches to find representative employers and opportunities, explore professional associations, join LinkedIn groups, and browse additional job board postings. Remember to also search LinkedIN and MyPenn (formerly QuakerNet) to connect with Penn alumni in fields related to your interests. Additionally, the sample jobs and employers are only a small selection of what’s posted in Handshake – log in to see much more!
We also suggest using the Career Exploration section of our website for more information or researching by major.
There are a lot of career paths to consider when pursuing a role in government, law or public policy and you may also discover a bit of overlap among those fields. Some examples of roles within these industries are policy analyst, paralegal, politician or campaign worker, lobbyist or attorney, to name a few. Many of these roles are fantastic opportunities to gain experience and responsibility very early in your career.
Through networking you can making connections and build relationships with professionals who can help you to learn what it’s like to work in a particular role, field, or industry. You can use Penn’s alumni database, MyPenn (formerly QuakerNet) as well as LinkedIN to find and connect with alumni who work in industries that are interesting to you. Read more about how to make connections.
Opportunities in government, law and public policy can be found in a variety of places, from larger job boards, to industry-specific niche job boards, to the career page of company websites. When you’re on a larger job board like Handshake, make sure you’re using filters and keywords to hone in on opportunities that are relevant to the types of roles you are seeking. We’ve also curated a list of industry-specific job resources related to government, law and public policy that can help you launch your search.
On this page, we’ve compiled many resources to help you prepare for a career in government, law, or public policy. Of particular interest should be the Tom Manatos Job List and professional organizations such as Idealist.
Have you ever networked with people outside of the U.S.? Whether you’re an international student looking to work in your home country or a domestic student looking for an adventure abroad, it’s always helpful to make connections in your industry …
by Nithya Chekuri, COL ’23, Recipient of the Partnership for Pubic Service grant.
This spring, I interned with the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition. My first day, January 19, was the day before President Biden’s inauguration. Just …
Are you a PhD or postdoc in the humanities and social sciences (or an alum of a PhD program!) who is interested in learning more about careers outside of academia? Then you will want to check out all of part …
Throughout April, Career Services hosted a series of online chats with graduate alumni working for the federal government. On April 15th, we heard from a master’s in geosciences graduate who is currently working as a physical scientist for the U.S. …
Throughout April, Career Services hosted a series of online chats with graduate alumni working for the federal government. On April 9th, we heard from a bioengineering PhD graduate who is working as an assistant director in the FDA’s Division of …
Kate Lawrence 
Emily Barrale 
