One of the best resources the Knowledge Network has for aspiring professionals in local government is in the Topics tab, where there is an entire section for Career Resources. Examples of topics are:

• Career Resources includes almost 300 documents ranging from a compilation of columns written about career issues for local government professionals to the “Job Hunting Handbook for Local Government Professionals.”
• The question section in the Job Loss group has questions from both employers and employees in relation to job loss. One user asked about being fired without cause, and a short time later, another asked about separation agreements for managers.
• The numerous groups in the Professional and Personal Development topic include Workforce Development, Managers Who Teach, and more.

The Knowledge Network has dozens of Groups that let people connect based on shared job experience, events, levels of membership, interests, and more.

• One example is the Career Coaching group. Posts on the group’s homepage range from specific job-related questions, to questions about how to get started in the field, to advice that people post for all to see.

Another place where people can find career advice in the Knowledge Network is through the Documents section.

• ICMA publishes a great deal of material, like “The Next Generation Initiatives," which is a collection of articles from the past 10 years from PM magazine. The collection discusses career development of those already in local government, transferring knowledge from senior managers to the next generation, and attracting young people to the field.
• “Emerging Leaders: How to Begin Your Career in Local Government” provides a six-step process to prepare young leaders for the world of local government, starting with individual priorities, and building to finding one or more mentors.

Wikis and Blog Posts are great ways for users to include their own input.

• The Careers in Local Government Management wiki discusses how to mold a career path, what different jobs entail, daily life of a local government professional, and employment opportunities.
• Career Advice for the Aspiring City Manager is a blog that was posted in response to a question posed by a graduate in need of career advice.
• Another blog post details good practices for Performance Evaluation of Managers.

Use the ICMA Career Network center to find your next move in the local government profession.