Job Opportunities Post-LBJ

[lacanadiense]

I unexpectedly got some serious funding from UT-Austin LBJ. I could potentially graduate debt-free, while my next best offer would put me at least 40k extra in debt. So Texas has become an unexpected front runner.

 

Here is my dilemma: I am not from Texas, and am mostly interested in federal issues. According to the school's own data, 61% of grads stay in Texas, and 19% end up in DC. While of course there are scenarios in which I might fall in love with Texas and want to stay, I would start the program aiming to be part of that 19%.

 

So fellow Gradcafe-ers, those of you who are more familiar with LBJ (current students, alumni, people who know current students/alumni, people who have visited...): what kinds of jobs do LBJ graduates land in? For the ones that make it to DC, what kinds of organizations do they work for? What kinds of positions do they fill? How much extra legwork do they have to do considering the locational disadvantages? 

 

For those that stay in Texas - are they mostly working for state/local governments? In Austin? Or spread across the state? Etc.

[Kitten]

lacanadiense,

That info is reflecting job placement within the first year after graduation. It may look different after that, but the school doesn't have that info now. The map on this page may give a better idea of where people end up in the long term: http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/alumnifriends

From the map, it seems like many grads go to the East Coast.

I asked the same question to the MGPS grad adviser a couple of weeks ago and she said that a lot of people are either 1. from Texas and want to return to their communities, 2. grow to like Texas and want to stay, 3. get picked up by the local network (get hired through UT alumni connections). It seems like she was trying to say that a lot of grads stay in Texas by circumstances, but also by choice. She herself has fed grads into international organizations.

You can also ask LBJane about this. S/he is an alumnus and has commented on similar posts in the past.

[FrenchO]

I am pretty much in the same position as you, lacanadiense, I got top funding from LBJ and for this and other reasons it is my top choice right now.

 

But being an international student, I also am concerned about job opportunities at an international level, in international organizations. Especially compared to other top IR programs in DC I've been admitted to. Do you have more information on which international organization and what positions she fed grads into, Kitten ? I will probably also send an email to ask about this myself.

 

But really interested in any information that can come out from this thread as well.

[MPPgal]

For me what convinced me is seeing my dream job organization EDF (as I have already done consulting for them and love them ) has a pretty big branch in Austin, and I did ask and a lot of people (about 6 currently) intern there, I am sure this is the case for other NGOs too! The one big difference would be world bank, etc. but my guess is you can try and intern there in the summer!

[lacanadiense]

The map on this page may give a better idea of where people end up in the long term: http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/alumnifriends

 

Thank you! This map is encouraging. It's not like I think I'm going to get stuck in Texas Jail for the rest of my life, but I am worried about how much weight the LBJ name carries outside of the state, and how much of an uphill battle it will be to get people to trust in the value of my degree right out the gate.

 

I am also interested in the specific organizations that people end up working at. And I have read a lot of LBJane's comments, but I want to hear from more than one person who has succesfully made it into the federal government. There will always be exceptions to the rule.

 

@MPPgal - I think you mentioned in another thread that you visited campus recently. Care to share more details about your impressions of the school? I'm not sure I'll be able to make it in April.

[juhual]

Hey guys, I thought I'd jump in since I've got a buddy who is a current student at LBJ, and I attended the prospective student open house back in November.  Obviously my perspective is still very anecdotal since I'm not a student there, and once people attend they have a vested interest in promoting their program.  However, my friend did intern in DC, and he said that there was both a strong UT presence in DC and that he interned with grad students from all over the country.  His perspective was that he had the same opportunities (presumably, since they were interning the same place) as other students who were paying more for their MPP's. 

 

From the Open House in November, I was very impressed with Dean Hutchings and his vision of growing LBJ's footprint in Washington.  It sounds like one of his big priorities is growing the internship opportunties for LBJ students in Washington.  They already have a program where students can intern in Washington while taking classes.  I believe UT also helps out in some regard with housing (I don't remember the particulars).  He seems to want to keep growing this program.

 

lacanadiense: I totally hear you about only 19% of students ending up in Washington (and the significant portion of students who remain in Texas).  I suppose it makes sense that it will be at least a little harder to break into the DC scene if you're all the way out in Texas.  On the other hand, I've consistently heard from various sources that UT does have a strong alumni base in DC and that they are a helpful resource.  It sound like coming from Austin will take more work, but that it is doable.

[MPPgal]

@MPPgal - I think you mentioned in another thread that you visited campus recently. Care to share more details about your impressions of the school? I'm not sure I'll be able to make it in April.

Will send you the message I sent the rest. For the forum bottom line....it was awesome! 

[biscuits]

Thank you! This map is encouraging. It's not like I think I'm going to get stuck in Texas Jail for the rest of my life, but I am worried about how much weight the LBJ name carries outside of the state, and how much of an uphill battle it will be to get people to trust in the value of my degree right out the gate.

 

I am also interested in the specific organizations that people end up working at. And I have read a lot of LBJane's comments, but I want to hear from more than one person who has succesfully made it into the federal government. There will always be exceptions to the rule.

 

@MPPgal - I think you mentioned in another thread that you visited campus recently. Care to share more details about your impressions of the school? I'm not sure I'll be able to make it in April.

 

Hee, Texas Jail. For what it's worth, several folks in various states' agencies have tipped LBJ as one of their favorite schools in terms of producing graduates. It might be something in the Austin water, but LBJ apparently produces people who not only can do the work, but who are also nice people and great collaborators. I've heard that LBJ grads have an easy time fitting into existing teams. These sources have rather...different...impressions of HKS. I only mention HKS specifically because multiple government employees have indicated that those grads do not play well with others. 

[Kitten]

Have you guys seen the list of recent employers at this website?
http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/careers/data

[Kitten]

And I can't remember which organizations Dr. Weaver has connections with. They didn't appeal to me personally so I didn't place emphasis on that part of our talk.

If you want to contact her: http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/directory/faculty/catherine-weaver

[lbjane]

Sorry, haven't been checking in as much.  I'm not sure what changed, but I recall the stats when I was at LBJ as being more along the line of 40% staying in TX, 40% going to DC and 20% everywhere else.  Maybe reporting has changed, maybe there was some sort of shift in the student body, maybe there was a disturbance in the matrix, who knows. 

 

People from my graduating class and the ones right around mine went to work at the following non-Texas employers: Dept of the Navy, Dept of Transportation, NRC, CRS, State, CIA, Brookings, CSIS, Deloitte, Bearingpoint, State of California, some non-profit in LA that I'm blanking on the name of right now, FERC, DOD, NSA, OMB, HHS, IBM Ireland, a few universities and more places that I can't remember off the top of my head.  I honestly don't remember percentagewise how many didn't stay in Texas, but my sense was that anyone who wanted out of Texas got out without too much trouble.  Though, now that we're out a few years a few have migrated back to Austin.  You might shoot an e-mail to Lana in the career office.  She'll have the latest info and can talk to you about which agencies regularly recruit at LBJ, what people have gone on to do, etc. 

 

For those who do stay in Texas, most tend to stay in Austin in state or local government, but others go to other cities, especially Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth.  Outside of Austin, most LBJ alums work in federal government (some agencies have offices in Dallas and Houston especially) or local government. 

Edited March 26, 2013 by lbjane