Interns Explore Careers in City Government

Every year SF YouthWorks interns attend career exploration events to gain exposure to the diversity of careers in City government. Last week SF YouthWorks visited seven different worksites through out San Francisco. Check out highlights from each event!

  • Information Technology: SF YouthWorks is proud to continue partnering with the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. The event was hosted by Head of Operations and Deputy Director Lisa Hoffmann with help from her world class IT staff. During the event, interns had a chance to tour their head quarters with an exclusive peek into the 911 command center as well as their server rooms that serves as the backbone of their extensive infrastructure. Interns learned all about the history of the US 911 emergency response program, how San Francisco handles emergencies, both large and small and future outlook for the Department of Emergency Services.
  • Recreation and Parks St. Mary’s Playground:  A new addition to SF YouthWorks Career Exploration Event this year is recreation and parks. Interns visited the newly renovated St. Mary’s Recreation Center. Located in the sunny Bernal Heights neighborhood, this facility has the programming and space to accomodate nearly all hobbies and recreational activities. Interns toured the center and had a chance to see a full sized gym, weight room, baseball/soccer field, children’s playground, dog park, tennis courts, and community garden. They also learned about recent bonds that allowed Recreation and Parks to have the funds to renovate their existing centers and learned about different career paths available in the department.
  • Public Utilities Commission: On January 28th, a group of SF YouthWorks took a tour of the Public Utilities Commission’s new platinum certified green building. The intern’s got a full tour of the building and they got to learn about how the PUC is using stainable energy and green methods to save energy and water. Harlen Kelly Jr., the new General Manager of the PUC, was kind enough to speak to intern at the beginning of the tour. The interns also got to hear from a wide range of employees that work in varies divisions such as; finance, infrastructure, engineering, IT and communication. Overall, it was an extremely rewarding experience for the interns. Ivy Fine and Sam Murray the creators of the tour are looking forward to hosting other tours in the future for other future SF YouthWorks interns
  • Paramedic Association: San Francisco YouthWorks interns visited the  Paramedic Association where the interns spoke with a panel of Health professionals. They spoke with paramedics and firefighters about the ins and out of there jobs,what path they took to get there and why they choose there particular field. Regardless of what profession they were in or how they got there they all knew that they enjoyed working with people and that they were in careers that they love.
  • Public Defenders: A group of SF YouthWorks interns interested in law visited the Public Defenders office and learned more about career options in law. Kathy Asada, Director of Recruitment and Intern Programs, welcomed interns and gave them a tour of the office, explaining different careers within the office such as social workers, paralegals, lawyers, clerks, and investigators. Jeff Adachi, the elected Public Defender of San Francisco, spoke with students about his career and fielded tough questions from interns about his experiences in law.
  • City Leadership/ Politics: On January 29 and group of interns interested in city leadership met at the Department of Children Youth and Their Families (DCYF). During this meeting interns had the opportunity to learn about a leading City Department in San Francisco and careers within the department (www.dcyf.org). Maria Su, Director of DCYF shared her journey that lead her to the department and the role she currently has to support a wide range of services in San Francisco. Emily Davis, Executive Assistant and YouthWorks Mentor informed interns on how DCYF functions to provide funding to assist the services needed. Gillian Bogart, Youth Empowerment Fund Advisory Board Coordinator remind the interns of the power and influence their voices can have on making positive change. Interns were engaged and ask questions to get the most out of the experience!
  • Finance: Interns considering a future in finance gathered at City Hall on January 28th to meet with San Francisco’s treasurer, Jose Cisneros. Structured as a group informational interview, discussion topics ranged from the treasurer’s high school job at a bank to his experience working in the private sector. In addition to describing his career path, he also provided an overview of the city’s taxation system. The group was also able to meet with a member of his senior management team who described her path from a career in business to public service.