Chapter 1 – Defining Public Service
1.4 How Do You Know If a Public Service Career Is Right for You?
Public service careers can be a strong choice for people who want to improve their communities and help others. Many in these careers share something called public service motivation, which researchers define as a person’s desire to serve the public and help others through work that is grounded in public institutions (Perry and Wise 1990). In simpler terms, it is a deep interest in work that benefits the public and makes life better for others, even when there is no personal reward. People with this motivation might want to influence important decisions, feel a responsibility to their community, or care strongly about meeting public needs.
Your own values, experiences, and interests can help you decide if this path fits you. Some people are shaped by role models who volunteered or worked to improve life around them. Others are influenced by school experiences, faith traditions, or training that teaches responsibility to others. If you find meaning in solving problems that affect many people and you are drawn to efforts that make communities healthier, safer, or more equitable, public service work may feel like a natural fit.
According to polling data, many Millennial and Gen Z-aged people show interest in solving public problems. A 2025 Deloitte survey found that about 40% of respondents said they value a job that lets them make a difference in the world. A large majority (Millennials 92%) and (Gen Z 89%) say that having a sense of purpose is very or somewhat important to their job satisfaction and overall well-being.
If you share that outlook, a public service career can provide ways to act on your values.
Identify What Interests You
First, check out the O*NET Interest Profiler from the U.S. Department of Labor. It’s a research-based assessment that matches students’ interests to the six Holland Codes (RIASEC: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional). These codes are a widely used framework in career counseling that groups people by work styles and environments where they tend to do well. With your results, you can immediately explore careers, salary ranges, and required education.
How it works:
- Answer a short series of questions about what kinds of work activities you might enjoy.
- Review your results, which are sorted into the six Holland Codes (RIASEC).
- Select your top interest areas to see matching careers.
- Explore details for each career including typical tasks, salary ranges, and required education or training.
Next, the Roadtrip Nation website is tool that helps you discover career paths that resonate with you, not someone else’s expectations. It begins with selecting what you’re passionate about. You can choose topics such as technology, design, government, music, nonprofits, sports, education. And it identifies different possibilities. It’s not perfect and it’s not about just public service, so use it generally. Know that their public service options are limited, but it’s worth trying.
How it works:
- Select your interests. Pick two from a wide range of categories (e.g., business, film, law, environment).
- Identify what motivates you. Choose core drivers like creativity, teaching, building, helping, and more.
- Get personalized results. Instantly see a curated list of relevant careers, overview videos, job‑trend insights, and links to Roadtrip Nation content to learn more.
References
Perry, James L. 1997. “Antecedents of Public Service Motivation.” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 7 (2):181-197. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024345.
Perry, James L., and Lois Recascino Wise. 1990. “The Motivational Bases of Public Service.” Public Administration Review 50 (3):367-373. doi: 10.2307/976618.
