Pre-MPP work experience

[radicalri]

New to this forum, thought this would be a good place to ask about preparing for public policy school. I graduated from college in the summer of 2016, worked some odd jobs, and then got a job in the winter as a contract coordinator for an educational company. Will it be looked down by admissions that I work for a company rather than the govt./a NGO? I do a fair amount of volunteer work during my free time, so I'm hoping that counts for something. I was planning on applying for fall of 2019 rather than 2018 because it seems like I needed a more solid amount of work experience. Do you believe this to be true or could I consider applying for fall of 2018?

[mapiau]

I recommend working for longer than a year or two before applying not because the work experience will impress an admissions committee, but rather because it helps you pick a career.

You may have an idea of what'd you like to focus on in an MPP program, but actually working in a field—in terms of the actual work, quality of life, security, and so on—is very different from studying it. You grad school experience will be much more rewarding and secure if you can really focus on an area you have prior experience in, which lets you not only focus your studies but also network more successfully.