With unemployment rates near all-time lows, prospects for graduates this year are looking good–especially in city and county governments. The Center for State and Local Government Excellence’s Local Government Workforce of Tomorrow report predicts, “Local governments will face significant challenges in attracting and retaining talent in the years ahead as retiring baby boomers are replaced by a workforce that is younger, more diverse, more mobile, and more reliant on information and communication technologies.” In some positions in local government–cyber security for example–there is zero unemployment. 

If you’re considering a job on the local level here are five resources to help:

• Local Gov Life Podcast most recent episode features several local government leaders who talk about how they got started in their careers and some of the keys to their success–from finding the right mentor to coaching others. There are five additional episodes that focus on other aspects of local government as well.
• Check out the ICMA Job Center. It is the go-to place for local government positions that run the gamut for analysts to chief administrative officers. It has features that allow you to save jobs and get alerts as well. 
• Download “Breaking Into Local Government.” Though it’s billed as a guide for job changers, it has great career strategies and examines career paths of successful city managers. 
• You can find a fairly comprehensive list of local government internships and fellowships in the student area of the ICMA website. 
• You can find more jobs as well as podcasts, blog posts and more on the ELGL website. There are also great tips on networking and ways to get connected and involved with other like-minded recent grads. 

Syndicated Columnist David Brooks recently observed that young, idealistic public servants are flocking back to their hometowns to work at the local government level where they can have more of an impact quickly. Based on the number of jobs available at the local government level this year, you’ll should find the welcome mat out.