Today’s guest blog is by Eddie McKenna (’04 College, Anthropology & Communication), now an employee with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Communications Division.
Penn Career Services has been a key university resource for me when I have needed it most, particularly for resume reviews and mock interviews. It is a pleasure to be part of that resource myself for other Penn students and alumni and I hope everyone takes full advantage.
I work for Texas Parks and Wildlife, the agency responsible for the management and conservation of fish and wildlife populations in Texas as well as 93 state parks and historic sites. In PA it might be the equivalent of Pennsylvania State Parks, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission all rolled together.
Although I am not a park ranger or a biologist by training, my work does revolve around conserving natural resources and offering recreational opportunities to one and all. My Penn anthropology and communications majors serve me well. This was not my first job out of college, but it has certainly become my favorite.
I would encourage Penn students and alumni to consider public service careers, to know what they want from a career and express it to others, and to pursue their dream employment environments based on the people and the places rather than the starting salary.