~Erin Niemi
County of Ventura Internships
As a young person trying to establish a career in public service, one of the highlights of my 2021 was getting to intern at the County of Ventura in their Public Service Internship Program. The Program consisted of various work opportunities within different County agencies and departments (e.g., County Executive Office, Human Services Agency, the Fire Department, etc.) and opportunities to learn more about each field while gaining real-world career experience.
My internship took place within the County Executive Office in the Human Resources Division on the recruitment team. During my internship, I got to use my former academic background in communication and my current academic background in public policy and administration to learn how the Human Resources department advertises and recruits for open job positions, as well as acquire additional soft skills in the workplace, such as time management, teamwork, and how to become a leader. My favorite part about the internship was being able to hone in on my creative side and work on social media and advertising campaigns for open recruitments in the County, as well as channel my analytical side and assist with larger projects requiring organization and critical thinking.
Current County Role
I work as an HR Business Partner Assistant within the CEO Office, Human Resources Division. There, I assist with certification, written exam development, social media marketing, and Equal Opportunity Employment recordkeeping and organizational tasks. I enjoy my work because I get to bring my creative side into every project I do while simultaneously interacting with the taxpayers of the County of Ventura in order to help them find a career role they can succeed in. I believe a lot of the skills I learned in my internship carry over into my job today; and because I have a foundation of soft skills, knowledge of the County, and the human resources field, I find my work to be rewarding and relevant in today’s evolving workplace. I especially love the ability to make a positive impact on our constituents’ lives on an individual level, and I am dedicated to serving them with every daily task I complete.
Recommendations
My recommendation to anyone wanting to join the County or to work either in an internship or in a full-time role is… just go for it! If you have a passion for anything in your career, whether its medicine, construction, environmental science, or public administration, there is a job for it at the County. I also recommend visiting the County HR website at hr.ventura.org to find a job that interests you and to check out our resources to learn more about our application process and organizational values. When you fill out your application, be sure to answer each question as fully as possible and showcase the skills you bring to the table. Details never hurt, and don’t be afraid to be yourself when you answer the questions! I believe careers within the public sector offer you an extremely rewarding career, and I encourage people to seek out careers where they can make a positive impact in their communities while remaining true to themselves and utilizing their talents.