Reflections on the impact of our Federal Advisor Certificate Program

In different student services roles at various higher education institutions, I have supported students searching for federal internships in the Washington, D.C., area.  

Yet despite my connection to, and experience working with, federal employees, the process of advising students on how to find government jobs felt entirely overwhelming. 

How the Partnership is helping campus advisers  

Last year, the Partnership for Public Service’s Call to Serve Network created a new program specifically for higher education professionals in these exact scenarios.  

The Federal Advisor Certificate Program is a seven-week asynchronous professional development program designed for participants to gain expertise in the federal career landscape and provide go-to resources customized to campus needs. Featuring over 50 videos with federal hiring managers and public servants across academic disciplines and career areas, the program provides a depth of knowledge and tangible tools for advisers to use in their student programming.  

The joy of interfacing with higher education professionals across career levels, specializations, areas of expertise, location, institution type and more has been such a highlight of the past year. 

When I read some of this feedback from Federal Advisor Certificate Program alumni, I felt like I had stepped right back into my previous advising scenarios.

As a young career service professional, it can be easy to doubt your knowledge and advice, especially when it comes to federal positions which have such stark differences from the private sector. The information in this course has been incredibly comprehensive and allowed me to be a confident federal advisor. Recently, I had a career coaching appointment where a student needed to navigate USAJOBS, and I found myself excited to walk him through the process… I felt like I unlocked a superpower.

Assistant Director – Industry Advising, Villanova University

The sheer amount of resources was so encouraging and rewarding. It has given me tangible tools that I’ve already used during advising meetings and in the classroom when talking about federal work and the pathways to get there.

Senior Career Coach, North Dakota State University

So far, the program has certified over 200 professionals across 35 states and 129 institutions, and our team can’t wait to meet more participants this summer.  

To me, the field of student services is another form of public service. Both are wide reaching; both tackle big problems in sometimes low-resourced environments; both affect millions of people daily; and both aim for individual and collective social impact.  

The Federal Advisor Certificate Program supports both types of public servants—the campus professionals who bring diverse young talent into government and the government employees who benefit from working in a more robust and effective federal workforce.  

Anyone advising or working with college students would benefit from this unique opportunity.  

Danica Harootian works with the Partnership’s Call to Serve Network, connecting higher education professionals and federal agencies to promote federal service and recruit the next generation of public servants.