What A Placer County District Representative Wishes They Knew Before Public Service
Frank, a District Representative at Placer County, wishes someone had emphasized the importance of "strengthen[ing] your boundaries" and leveraging "street smarts versus academic smarts" before entering the field, recognizing that the role relies heavily on empathy, understanding human behavior, and demonstrating character through honest actions, which are skills that prove to be more valuable than anticipated. Essentially, according to Frank, the ability to be true to oneself is essential and will translate directly to bettering the community they serve.
On-the-Job Training, Character and Integrity, Empathy and Understanding, Blending Academic and Practical Knowledge, Human Behavior and Psychology
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Frank Udvarhely
District Representative
Placer County
Sacramento State University
Business Management & Admin, Finance
Coaching, Speaking & Writing, Government & Public Sector
Business Strategy
Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. The importance of soft skills like empathy, sympathy, and understanding human behavior are crucial in this role and are relied upon heavily.
2. On-the-job training is significant; street smarts and character are invaluable assets that cannot be hidden.
3. Being honest, upstanding, and truthful is paramount, especially when representing the public; if one cannot embody these qualities, they should reconsider roles of public service.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
I spent a lot of time around people in this niche, in this world, because of volunteering and in my previous role in financial services. This helped me understand the mechanics of how things work in society.
The learning I wish I had before was hard to describe. It's like asking how a fish breathes underwater or how a bird flies. These are things you can't fully articulate until you experience them.
Once in the role, I learned to strengthen my boundaries and my flexibility in being empathetic and sympathetic. These are skills I didn't realize I would rely on so much. My psychological background helped me understand not just why things happen, but how and what is truly being said or communicated.
I spent a lot of time studying human behavior and psychology when I was going down a different path in life. When I switched careers, those skills transferred over much better than I expected and are more beneficial to me now than they would have been in my previous career.
My previous career was like the textbook, focused on academics and the "factory version." Now, I'm in a situation where the textbook doesn't always apply in the real world. It's about street smarts versus academic smarts, knowing how to blend them and when to use which skill.
I don't want to just say it's on-the-job training, but it really is a lot of on-the-job training. Being the best and having the best character is important. You can't hide your character.
If you are an honest, upstanding, truthful person, that speaks for itself. So, telling people what they should know versus showing them and demonstrating with actions is key. Be as true and honest to yourself as you can.
If you don't feel you can be that way, please don't represent the public. Don't get involved in anything where the public depends on you.
Advizer Personal Links
www.intelligentchoicetraining.com, LinkedIn/fudvarhey