Story Series #1 - Jennifer Macarthy

I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer at a meeting for the Fly Chico Program hosted by the City of Chico a few weeks ago. And when I was looking for female leaders in the community to talk to my club at school I thought of her.

She agreed to come in and give a presentation. This post is a shortened version of that, covering what she does now and how young people can get there too. I hope you all enjoy this post as much as my club enjoyed having her.

Jennifer is a Chico girl. She attended Pleasant Valley High School but has a son and a daughter that went to Chico High. She attended Santa Clara University originally as a math major but then changed to economics. And then she studied city and rural town town planning at Chico State.

Jen described her "roadmap" (a visual representation of one's career path) to Deputy City Manager as having plenty of stop signs, many different paths, and really just all over the place. She said a few major ideas guided her through this journey. The importance of aligning your career with joy and your goals, working with your skillset, and the importance of knowing your value.

Jobs are often a huge part of your life. You spend hours working, and sometimes stay up late at night worrying. Jen suggests choosing a job that makes you happy and that you enjoy. It will help add an extra layer of passion and dedication.

She also advises that everyone see a career counselor and says that it's never too late. In her last year of college, minutes away from going out into the world and finding a job she paid a visit to this professional. They help you find and align your skills and interests and can give you insight into careers you never knew existed. They can expand your window of possibility, jobs you've never been exposed to.

Jen's thoughts on knowing your value really sparked my understanding and seemed to guide her career choices the most. It is important to keep a level head when you are starting out. You don't have much value in the beginning. This isn't a self-inflicted issue it's just the truth of the matter, limited experience means limited value to the workforce. Because of this, you must give up your time starting out. Intern and shadow. Jen shadowed a city planner just after college, she said she enjoyed it so much and it opened her eyes to many possibilities. All of these things build your personal value. And after a few years, and a few jobs, you've got enough value to start being picky. Be aware of what jobs you deserve, don't just take the sparkliest ones. And like life, you need to understand the trade-off. What value do you give the job and what value does the job give you? And if either of these becomes zero at any point, it might be time to move on to another job. Don't be afraid to grow and change when this time comes.

This concept of value also played into Jen's career path overall, Civil service. Adding value, change, and progress to the community. Jen serves as the Deputy City Manager for the City of Chico, the right-hand woman to the person who oversees the city itself. Jen explained that she helps implement the City Manager’s and City Council's vision of the city. She is dedicated to the community and the economic development of the city (something that her economic degree sure helps out with). She helps other people, business owners, and community members, move forward.

This sort of career only comes from a genuine interest and value in community service. Jen strongly encourages young people to pursue careers in civil service. Most jobs and passions that you can think of have a parallel in city government. The city needs many hands to run and is responsible for so many things, anyone can find their place there.

After such a successful and inspiring career Jen had a few key skills she wanted us to take away.

Communication: this isn't only learning how to communicate with other people but learning how they communicate. Finding a common and unique language though you are very different people.

Finding your opposition: Jen recommended finding the people that disagree with you. Reach out and meet with them. They will appreciate you taking the time, you can educate yourself on the reason behind their opposition, and it helps you build tough skin. This was something an old boss suggested to her, she was skeptical at first but after some time it made sense.

PUBLIC SPEAKING: any chance you have, get in front of a crowd and talk about your passions. This is a skill you can build before you even join the workforce. Taking classes on presenting is even better.

Hearing Jen's story was really inspiring and eye-opening. Civil Service is a huge career path around the world, and it is wonderful to see women succeeding in it.

Remember to keep pursuing what you want, one step at a time, and take up your space in the world. See you for the next Story Series coming soon!