What is working in Public Administration like?

What are some first-hand accounts of working in the Public Works Administration?

• Answer:

  Some of my experiences in Public Works Administration in small Canadian municipalities: You approach each day with an open mind because you never know what surprises lay ahead.  You may: get a call from an irate rate-payer who needs help handling a sewage backup in his basement, need to manage a watermain break in the middle of winter at 40 degrees below zero, need to divert a huge volume of runoff threatening homes and properties. There are also many positives: resolving a long-standing problem with low pressure in your water system, successfully completing a million-dollar capital on-time and on-budget, bonding more with your colleagues after a thrashing (justified or not) by the local media and subsequently the public. The most satisfying part of working in Public Works Administration is that you have the ability to improve people's lives and standard of living.  This can also be the toughest part about working in Public Works Administration.