Career Advice from Jodi Miller:
What's the best career advice you've ever gotten? Best Advice: Don’t take things personally. You can be both the center of praise and controversy all in the same day. Funniest Advice: You are not a real city manager until you have been fired once —from my boss and mentor Jackson Tuttle, Williamsburg City Manager.
What would be the top three tips for success you'd give someone starting their local government career? Your favorite job hunting tips?
- Get involved in your state professional association.
- Look for internships—paid or unpaid. You never know who you might meet or what opportunities might present themselves
- Let people know you are interested in a career in local government. Once you are in local government, let colleagues know you are interested in city management
- Embrace the interview process. It provides an opportunity to learn about interesting communities and people.
What do you think were the most important steps in the path you took that led to your current position? (e.g. what positions did you hold but also were there strategic decisions and choices you made?)?
- Completed my MPA
- Completed a professional management internship
- Worked for a non-profit and learned basic management and budgeting skills
- Accepted a job in local government as an administrative analyst which started my career in local government
- Took a risk applying for an assistant to the city manager position and transitioned to the public management field
- Became actively involved in ICMA and the Virginia Local Government Management Association (VLGMA)
How did you get your current job? I completed an internship in the Williamsburg City Manager’s Office when I was in graduate school. Three years after I completed the internship, the Assistant to the City Manager position became available in Williamsburg and I took a leap of faith and applied. I’m very fortunate to be able to work for the city that inspired my career in city management.
What was the biggest challenge you've faced in your professional life and how did you overcome or address it?The work/life/family balance is the biggest challenge I have faced in my professional life and continue to face in my career. Having a supportive work and family environment helps to keep the balance. Even though some days the balance is off, I’ve learned to just go with it because the issue or task will be there tomorrow.
What are the top three web sites you find most helpful professionally?
- ICMA
- Virginia Local Government Management Association (www.vlgma.org)
- Virginia Municipal League website (www.vml.org)
What's the most interesting book or magazine you've read recently for your professional life? Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins. Collins’ ideas on “legislative leadership” describes the daily work performed in public management. Working Mother magazine, Suzanne Riss, Editor-in-Chief. Excellent resource for working moms.