Prospective Fellow Frequently Asked Questions

Interviews will be held on Monday, March 17, 2024. Interviews will be held virtually. DOLA staff will set up the interview schedule and will send links to the video conferencing. You may have an opportunity to interview with an available community. If your schedule allows it, plan to stay after your interview as well, in case other communities are interested in speaking to you. This is a great opportunity to practice your interview skills and gain experience.

Generally one or two representatives from the local government will participate in the interview. These could include the manager, finance officer, mayor or other elected official.

As in any interview process, you want to make sure this is the right job for you, in the right organization. First, do your research – know where in the state the local government is and understand whether or not this type of move will work for you and your current situation.

Carefully read the mentoring and work plans, community profile and any other information you can find online. Understanding the organization will help you prepare.

Housing availability varies from community to community. In some cases, the local government may have access to workforce housing, in others, it will be up to you to find. Ask questions about housing availability, cost and location.

Past participants offered these questions you may consider:

• Fellowships in each community will be viewed differently by staff and the community. You may consider asking if the City or County has worked with other interns or fellows in the past. If so, what were their goals, struggles, accomplishments?
• You might be attending classes on the weekends and working during the week. How will the day to day duties relate to the classroom experience?
• Is there a possibility of a long-term, permanent position within the organization?
• How will the fellowship benefit your community?
• How will it benefit my future career?
• What is the turnover in management?
• What was the most contentious board meeting this community has had recently? What made it contentious and how was it handled/resolved?
• Will I have an opportunity to write staff reports or present to Council/Board?

All work plans, mentoring plans and community profiles will be sent to interested students by February 4. Students send their resumes, application, and cover letters along with which communities they are interested in interviewing with by March 3 to program staff. Communities will be provided with the applications. A schedule of interviews will be put together to ensure each community interviews students they are interested in working with.

Interviews will be scheduled in 50-minute intervals on March 17. Local government representatives and students should both be prepared to ask and answer questions about the job and the community.

At the end of the interviews each community will be asked to provide DOLA with up to three students they would be interested in hiring. Each student will be asked to provide DOLA with up to three communities they would be interested in working with. Between March 19 and
April 9, students will be required to visit communities, or set up a virtual meeting, at the manager’s request to meet elected officials and department heads. After these visits, the communities and students can reevaluate the original lists they provided to DOLA. DOLA Regional Managers will then broker the placement of students in communities based on matching the top choices for the communities and students. This allows for the maximum number of students to be placed with communities. You will not be offered a position during the initial process. Placements will be finalized by April 15.

In many cases, fellowships will begin July 1. However, if the community and student agree to a different start date, the fellowship will begin on that agreed upon date.

This is a two-year fellowship program. Students are expected to be either enrolled in classes during the entire 2 years or graduate some time during those two years with their Masters’. Communities are signing a two year contract with DOLA and students are expected to make
the same commitment.

The total salary and benefits package for the Fellowship is a minimum $57,000 annually during the first year, and $63,000 during the second. Some high cost-of-living communities are encouraged to increase pay to accommodate living expenses. Additionally, new this year, your commitment to completion will be awarded with a $3,000 stipend for each year completed. Each community varies with regards to benefits and thus, your take home pay may vary. This is a conversation you need to have during your interviews. It is important to know whether or not you can “afford” this opportunity.

Each DOLA Regional Manager works with communities interested in the fellowship program and have demonstrated a willingness and the capacity to mentor students. This is not a program open to any and all jurisdiction in the State.

Responsibilities of the Participating Local Government:

• To provide a work plan and mentoring plan to assure the successful integration of the fellow into the local jurisdiction work setting;
• To hire the fellow within the parameters of the local human resource process, including background checks etc;
• To provide an office space and appropriate equipment necessary to completing tasks assigned to the fellow;
• To provide on-going feedback and guidance to the fellow to assure satisfactory program progress;
• To actively participate in communication between and among participating jurisdictions, fellow, and DOLA;
• To assist the Universities and fellows with identifying appropriate Master’s Project subject matter;
• To assist fellows with making alternative arrangements at any point that a specific fellow/jurisdiction match proves detrimental to either the fellow or jurisdiction;
• To notify the University and DOLA if the original mentor for the fellow is no longer employed by the local jurisdiction;
• To continually make a concerted effort to improve the fellowship program and enhance existing fellow/jurisdiction relationships through participation in fellow/DOLA/University meetings and workshop sessions and through feedback to the University and DOLA on ways to further build program effectiveness.

Depending on the jurisdiction, there may be an employment agreement that needs to be signed. Additionally, each fellow will sign a memorandum of understanding between the University, DOLA and local jurisdiction. Because each University has different program eligibility requirements, each MOU is slightly different. However, each student does agree to the following:

• To commit to working with the chosen jurisdiction for 40 hours per week (may include some evenings and weekends) for the full 24 months of the program outside of any unforeseen personal circumstances which might render the fellow incapable of fulfilling the commitment, or circumstances within the placement that jeopardize the fellow’s integrity, physical or mental health, or safety;
• To work with immediate supervisors and/or other appropriate individuals within the fellowship jurisdiction to ensure that the fellowship is meeting both the educational and professional growth needs of the fellow and the needs of the jurisdiction;
• To seek the assistance of the appropriate DOLA contact person or field representative serving their jurisdiction when faced with workplace challenges or problems that the fellow believes he/she needs confidential guidance in helping to resolve;
• To seek the assistance of their University Program with fellowship challenges related to personal academic and/or professional growth issues;
  To take courses according to a time-frame that will position the fellow to complete his/her Master’s Project within the two year timeframe;
• To notify the University of any problems that might prevent the fellow from taking a course during any given semester;
• To produce a Master’s Project that addresses a real issue or need in the jurisdiction of the fellowship;
• To adhere to the professional norms of the placement jurisdiction and represent the jurisdiction, the University and DOLA with the highest level of integrity at all times.

Past participants offered the follow insights:

• Do your research on the communities offering a position. Different communities have different needs, and a good fit makes a world of difference.
• Not all work plans are the same. Finding a community that is asking for the specific traits you have is much more important for your long-term success than location.
• As a part of the due diligence research, go visit the communities! Talk to the staff and managers if possible. Speak directly about the town in your interview and ask questions specifically about their expectations.
• The most important skill in the Best and Brightest program is to be coachable, not the most intelligent. You are not expected to invent the answers, often quite the opposite. Find examples of success from other communities and understand how to implement them in your locale. Take direction well and learn to anticipate how your community works, rather than trying to impose your will or your experience on them. There are plenty of people who will help guide and support you, don't feel like you need all the answers before you apply.
• Not every Best and Brightest work plan or fellowship is the same. Study your own expectations and relationship with your direct supervisor and focus on that relationship rather than comparing your work to someone else.
• It will be overwhelming. If you are doing your job right, it might feel like you are being asked to do everything. Clearly communicate if your workload is too much, focusing on doing a great job with the work you do and communicating