Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) Spec. Honours (Policy Analysis Stream)

I always said that anything worth pursuing should be difficult because if it were not, you would not appreciate it and you would take it for granted once you got it. My name is Narendra Persaud-Doobay and I graduated with the 3-year (90) credit Bachelor of Public Administration degree at York University. I would like to share my experiences with the program so that those of you who are interested can get the full scope. After graduating, I started my search for a career in my field within the public sector. The hardest thing I have ever done in my life was, and is, searching for a career. After applying for hundreds and even thousands of positions, passing tests, passing interviews, (just to be placed into a pool of qualified candidates) I finally got a position within the public sector as a Pre-Examination Clerk at Passport Canada. From Passport Canada, I got another job with Service Canada working in Canada's Pension Plan and Old Age Security Department performing clerical duties. For now, I am currently working as an administrative assistant with the City of Toronto for City Planning.

Currently, I have returned to York in order to complete the 4th year Specialized Honour's BPA in the Policy Analysis stream. As you all may be wondering, "Why did he come back?" I'll explain. I realized after graduating that the real world is not either black or white, but very grey. Being in school before I graduated, I thought I would find a job, specifically as a policy analyst, with an organization or the government. Although I did find a job in the public sector (after endless months of dishing out resumes and applying for positions), it was not what I would consider the ideal position as a Public Administration graduate. I realized that in order for me to get the ideal position in Public Administration, i.e. policy advisor/analyst, it would be necessary to have a background in something else along with my current bachelor's degree, unless I decided to do at the minimum the Specialized Honour's bachelor degree in public administration or take the extra step and pursue a Master’s of Public Administration. I could not get a job based on what I wanted because I did not have any experience as a policy analyst. In general, many positions you apply for after you graduate require experience, especially as a policy analyst/advisor, or some kind of special knowledge or background in a field related to the position for which you are applying.

Now that I am back completing my 4th year, I have been taking many courses to complete the program and to help me get that ideal position. I was fortunate enough to take an experiential education course – AP/PPAS 4200 6.0 Applied Public Policy Analysis - offered in the 4th year Specialized Honour's program in the Policy Analysis stream where I worked directly with a client on a real life problem they faced. Applying the policy analysis skills I learned in the program, specifically this course, it gave me the necessary skills, knowledge and tools needed to help my client with their problem in order to provide the best possible solution and to also prepare me for the real working world. I prepared a policy report on my research and presented the best solution/alternative to their problem in front of the actual client, professor, faculty members and interested parties. This one course gave me the ideal experience of what organizations are looking for when they ask you the kind of experience you have as a policy analyst. Once you are a new graduate from the Specialized Honour's BPA program, you literally have just gained 8 months of real world experience that organizations are looking for in just that one course alone. Bear in mind, there are other relevant courses that provide something similar to experiential education in the program. Therefore, I can say it is imperative to complete at least the Specialized Honour's program, at the bare minimum, if you are looking for an ideal job as a policy analyst, or any other disciple relevant to public administration.

Another great thing about the BPA program is that professors and faculty members are always there to support you and provide you with advice any time. The department offers many social events where you can network and meet York alumni,, motivational speakers and those who are currently working in the public sector with fantastic careers. They are all there to help you with your studies and provide tips and advice on future career endeavors. I highly recommend taking advantage of these opportunities to meet with those who can give you advice as to what to do after you graduate and what to expect.

The fact is, it is difficult to land a good job out there, and I am not trying to scare anyone, but this is reality. This program is your opportunity to change lives. How? Well, if you are able to land a great job, you can be in control of working with the Ministry of Education and improving the overall quality of education in Ontario. Or you can end up in a job with the Federal Government of Canada implementing policies aimed at helping seniors get the income they deserve for all their contributions to the country through the Old Age Security program. The list is endless, but it all depends on how badly you want something. The more you want something, the more motivated you are to go and get it regardless of how difficult it is. Naturally, things will not be as difficult because when you want something and are not afraid to go after it, you realize how easy it really was in the end. Go get yours! - Narendra Persaud-Doobay