{"id":910,"date":"2025-08-16T16:10:52","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T16:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=910"},"modified":"2025-08-16T19:28:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T19:28:57","slug":"expanding-beyond-school","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/chapter\/expanding-beyond-school\/","title":{"rendered":"4.9 Expanding Beyond School"},"content":{"raw":"Some of great networking opportunities happen outside of class. In this section, I\u2019ll write about professional associations, their conferences, volunteer experiences, and a little bit on using LinkedIn.\r\n\r\n<em>Professional Associations<\/em>\r\n\r\nJoining professional associations is one way to start. Groups like the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), International City\/County Management Association (ICMA), and American Planning Association (APA) offer student memberships at reduced or no cost. ICMA membership is free for students and you get access to their database of members and other resources.\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\nHere are some professional associations to know about:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>American Society for Public Administration (ASPA): A national group that supports people working in government and nonprofits.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>International City\/County Management Association (ICMA): Connects local government managers and provides training, resources, and ethical standards.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>American Planning Association (APA): Supports planners who work to improve cities, towns, and regions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ohio City\/County Management Association (OCMA): Brings together city and county managers in Ohio to share ideas and learn from each other.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ohio Municipal League (OML): Represents Ohio\u2019s cities and villages, offering training and advocacy for local leaders.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ohio Chapter of the APA (Ohio APA): A state-level network for planners with events and resources tailored to Ohio communities.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>National League of Cities (NLC): A national group that speaks for cities, towns, and villages and helps their leaders connect.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<em>Conferences<\/em>\r\n\r\nConferences also will help you network. The Ohio City\/County Management Association (OCMA) waives conference fees for students. Moreover, the Levin School often helps cover travel and registration for these events.\r\n\r\nBeing in these rooms matters. You meet people doing the work you want to do, hear what challenges they are facing, and begin to see yourself as a peer in the profession.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2-300x179.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"677\" height=\"404\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-911\" \/>\r\n\r\n<em>Here\u2019s a photo of students at an OCMA conference in Columbus. I was there when they took this photo, I just refused to wear a silly hat.<\/em>\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>How to Approach People at a Conference<\/strong>\r\n\r\nWalking into a professional conference can feel overwhelming, but most people there expect and welcome conversation. Here are some ways to start:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Introduce yourself and your connection to Levin. A simple \u201cHi, I\u2019m a student at Cleveland State\u201d gives context and invites follow-up questions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ask about their work. People enjoy talking about what they do. You can ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s your role?\u201d or \u201cWhat projects are you working on right now?\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Share why you are there. Let them know what you hope to learn or explore at the event.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Thank them and follow up. Before you leave the conversation, thank them for their time and get their contact information or connect on LinkedIn.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nBe genuine. You do not need to meet everyone in the room. A few meaningful conversations can be more valuable than a long list of contacts you never speak to again.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<em>Volunteer Experiences<\/em>\r\n\r\nGetting involved in the community is another way to build your network. Public meetings, volunteer events, and civic forums give you the chance to learn how decisions are made and to connect with people active in local issues.\r\n\r\nSometimes CSU will create these experiences for you. For example, in my public service careers class, I\u2019ll schedule an afternoon of service event and embed it in our volunteerism curriculum. This year, we\u2019ll be volunteering for a few hours at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org\/\">Greater Cleveland Food Bank<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<em>LinkedIn<\/em>\r\n\r\nMaintaining a LinkedIn presence can also connect you to opportunities. Alumni and local leaders post about programs, jobs, and events. For example, Levin MPA alum Stephanie Molnar, who runs the Cleveland Foundation\u2019s fellowship program, shared an event this summer that brought students and community leaders together. See her post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/stephanie-molnar-mpa-62b15432_our-annual-collegiate-career-and-community-activity-7350569356738682880-uo70\/\">here<\/a>. You absolutely could have taken the initiative to attend.\r\n\r\nFollowing and engaging with posts like this can keep you in the loop and open doors you might not find otherwise.\r\n\r\nFinally, reach out to Professor Jeffrey Bowen about networking. He\u2019s a professional and can give you great advice.","rendered":"<p>Some of great networking opportunities happen outside of class. In this section, I\u2019ll write about professional associations, their conferences, volunteer experiences, and a little bit on using LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p><em>Professional Associations<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Joining professional associations is one way to start. Groups like the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), International City\/County Management Association (ICMA), and American Planning Association (APA) offer student memberships at reduced or no cost. ICMA membership is free for students and you get access to their database of members and other resources.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p>Here are some professional associations to know about:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>American Society for Public Administration (ASPA): A national group that supports people working in government and nonprofits.<\/li>\n<li>International City\/County Management Association (ICMA): Connects local government managers and provides training, resources, and ethical standards.<\/li>\n<li>American Planning Association (APA): Supports planners who work to improve cities, towns, and regions.<\/li>\n<li>Ohio City\/County Management Association (OCMA): Brings together city and county managers in Ohio to share ideas and learn from each other.<\/li>\n<li>Ohio Municipal League (OML): Represents Ohio\u2019s cities and villages, offering training and advocacy for local leaders.<\/li>\n<li>Ohio Chapter of the APA (Ohio APA): A state-level network for planners with events and resources tailored to Ohio communities.<\/li>\n<li>National League of Cities (NLC): A national group that speaks for cities, towns, and villages and helps their leaders connect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Conferences<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Conferences also will help you network. The Ohio City\/County Management Association (OCMA) waives conference fees for students. Moreover, the Levin School often helps cover travel and registration for these events.<\/p>\n<p>Being in these rooms matters. You meet people doing the work you want to do, hear what challenges they are facing, and begin to see yourself as a peer in the profession.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2-300x179.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"677\" height=\"404\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2-300x179.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2-1024x612.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2-768x459.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2-65x39.jpg 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2-225x134.jpg 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2-350x209.jpg 350w, https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2025\/08\/OCMA-Thank-You-Card-Photo-Blurred-Names-2.jpg 1296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 677px) 100vw, 677px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Here\u2019s a photo of students at an OCMA conference in Columbus. I was there when they took this photo, I just refused to wear a silly hat.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>How to Approach People at a Conference<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Walking into a professional conference can feel overwhelming, but most people there expect and welcome conversation. Here are some ways to start:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Introduce yourself and your connection to Levin. A simple \u201cHi, I\u2019m a student at Cleveland State\u201d gives context and invites follow-up questions.<\/li>\n<li>Ask about their work. People enjoy talking about what they do. You can ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s your role?\u201d or \u201cWhat projects are you working on right now?\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Share why you are there. Let them know what you hope to learn or explore at the event.<\/li>\n<li>Thank them and follow up. Before you leave the conversation, thank them for their time and get their contact information or connect on LinkedIn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Be genuine. You do not need to meet everyone in the room. A few meaningful conversations can be more valuable than a long list of contacts you never speak to again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Volunteer Experiences<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Getting involved in the community is another way to build your network. Public meetings, volunteer events, and civic forums give you the chance to learn how decisions are made and to connect with people active in local issues.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes CSU will create these experiences for you. For example, in my public service careers class, I\u2019ll schedule an afternoon of service event and embed it in our volunteerism curriculum. This year, we\u2019ll be volunteering for a few hours at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org\/\">Greater Cleveland Food Bank<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>LinkedIn<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Maintaining a LinkedIn presence can also connect you to opportunities. Alumni and local leaders post about programs, jobs, and events. For example, Levin MPA alum Stephanie Molnar, who runs the Cleveland Foundation\u2019s fellowship program, shared an event this summer that brought students and community leaders together. See her post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/stephanie-molnar-mpa-62b15432_our-annual-collegiate-career-and-community-activity-7350569356738682880-uo70\/\">here<\/a>. You absolutely could have taken the initiative to attend.<\/p>\n<p>Following and engaging with posts like this can keep you in the loop and open doors you might not find otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, reach out to Professor Jeffrey Bowen about networking. He\u2019s a professional and can give you great advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":406,"menu_order":9,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-910","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":882,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/406"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":949,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/910\/revisions\/949"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/882"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/910\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=910"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=910"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/publicservicecareers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}