Early into my first job out of law school at the Treasury Department, a friend in private practice phoned after hours. “What are you still doing there?” she asked, adding that if I was willing to work long hours, I should have chosen to work for a private law firm with a bigger salary. In her mind, a government job did not demand the same effort and excellence. But her vision of government service was not what I saw around me every day.

At Treasury and then the State Department, which became my professional home for most of my career, I worked alongside exceptional professionals. My colleagues were gifted problem-solvers, negotiators, public speakers, writers, editors, managers, team players and quick thinkers. Many held advanced degrees in law, public policy or related areas and had private-sector and other relevant backgrounds. They had subject-matter or regional expertise, institutional memory and, for the State Department especially, the ability to work cross-culturally. Money, fancy offices and other perks did not motivate them; their desire to serve our country drove them instead. Colleagues worked nights and weekends to respond to outbreaks of wars or natural disasters, answer inquiries from Congress, negotiate resolutions at the United Nations, provide guidance to U.S. negotiators or prepare senior officials for meetings with their foreign counterparts, to name just a few examples. Most of this work happened behind the scenes, but that didn’t make it less valuable.

This past year has been tumultuous for the federal civil service, and it’s hard to know what the future holds. Because they serve across administrations, career employees provide the continuity, institutional memory, experience and expertise needed to keep the government functioning effectively, whichever administration is setting the policy priorities. Career civil servants are the core of our government’s workforce, and their vital nonpartisan role deserves support and respect.

Whatever comes next, I’m convinced that the federal government’s effectiveness depends on its ability to recruit, develop and retain highly skilled, principled civil servants in the executive branch. That’s why Northeastern’s Policy School and Law School are so important, and the combination of classroom and practical learning both offer is so valuable. As they prepare for careers in mission-driven organizations, public service or virtually any other field, there are a few skills that I would encourage Northeastern students to develop. If graduates do not pursue careers in federal agencies, these skills can still take them far in careers in state or local government, the nonprofit sector or business.

First, the most effective people I encountered during my career were strong communicators. The challenges facing our government are complex, often unfold on short notice and must be balanced with numerous other priorities. Senior officials are flooded with information and multiple competing demands. To influence a decisionmaker, the ability to convey complex information in concise, clear prose is essential. The best way to develop this skill is practice. Students should take as many opportunities as they can to get good at this type of writing and get comfortable doing it under time pressure.

Second, being able to work well with others is invaluable. This skill is the foundation for being a good manager and supervisor. It is also critical for achieving results across large organizations. In the federal government, working with experts across other agencies is important in many positions, so being able to build and manage relationships with counterparts with different priorities and equities is essential. Positive relationships can help break down bureaucratic barriers or make it possible to meet deadlines on short notice. People who can develop collegial interagency connections will be more effective. Almost everything I did for the government involved extensive, often tricky, coordination with my counterparts at State and in other federal agencies.

Students can develop their ability to collaborate by working in as many teams and groups as possible. Ideally, these groups will include members who have different experiences, outlooks and strengths, just like the workplace does. Experience navigating different communications styles and personalities, capitalizing on them to find better outcomes, and finding ways to develop each team member’s strengths will help students stand out among their future coworkers.

Third, students should find ways to learn how to persuade and motivate others and to manage and defuse conflicts. A negotiations class can teach students how to develop common ground with others, get comfortable dealing with different perspectives and have difficult conversations. Using these techniques with peers, without the authority of a title or position of seniority, is an excellent way to prepare for leadership positions.

Finally, students should develop a specific area expertise while broadening their overall knowledge. Becoming a go-to person on a country, region or subject area can help you both build your passion on that topic and carve out a niche that increases your competitiveness. Ways to focus include research, writing projects and co-ops. Taking a range of classes, reading regularly and widely for fun, and keeping open to new perspectives and experiences are also important. In my experience, subject-matter experts who can draw on their general knowledge and backgrounds were often best able to find creative solutions and adapt to novel situations. It’s also the case that being comfortable with areas outside one’s expertise can help in adapting to evolving priorities at work.

If I could talk to my friend today, I would have much more to say about why her cynicism about federal service was misplaced. Yes, being a civil servant in a large federal agency had its frustrations, and there was always room for improvement. Not every employee is superb, or even successful. But what I saw so many talented colleagues build and accomplish through sustained, disciplined effort was special. Their achievements include developing partnerships with other governments to shame human rights violators and aid refugees; ensuring that memos for decisionmakers were well-written, informative and on-time; and speaking up to be sure decisions were thoroughly considered, even when others were afraid to.

We need to keep aspiring to that type of excellence in our government, even as that type of excellence is under attack, and we will need it more than ever, not least as AI transforms our economy. In the face of challenge and uncertainty, Northeastern’s work to prepare a new generation of public servants could not be more critical. With their academic foundation in theory and practice, and the determination to stay curious, flexible, resilient and invested in their communities, Northeastern students will be well-positioned to contribute and find meaningful careers.

July 2026