Career Path of a Fiscal and Policy Analyst at City of Seattle
Sarah's career path, beginning with economics and urban planning studies at UCLA, was shaped by Teach for America, where "it completely solidified this desire...to stay in public service". This led to a master's in public policy, a finance budget analyst role in Sacramento working on "the governor's budget" for the fifth largest economy, and finally their current position as a Fiscal and Policy Analyst at the City of Seattle, budgeting for the mayor and working across various policy areas including public safety.
Public Service, Budgeting and Finance, Policy Analysis, Economic Analysis, Urban Planning
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sarah Burtner
Fiscal and Policy Analyst
City of Seattle
UCLA, 2014
Masters in Special Education and Teaching at CUNY Hunter College, Masters of Public Policy at UCLA
Economics
Government & Public Sector
Data and Analytics
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Relevant experience in public service: Sarah's career path demonstrates a strong commitment to public service, starting with Teach for America and continuing through various roles in government budgeting and policy analysis. This is a valuable highlight for students interested in similar careers.
2. Value of diverse skills: Sarah's background combines economics, urban planning, and public policy, showcasing the value of a multidisciplinary approach to this field. Her path shows how combining seemingly disparate areas of study can create a strong foundation for policy work.
3. Career progression in government: Sarah's progression from a finance budget analyst to a Fiscal and Policy Analyst role illustrates the potential for career advancement within government. Her experience shows how starting roles can provide opportunities to move into different areas with added responsibilities, such as changing policy focus from child care to public safety
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path? Start with your experiences in college, any internships, or jobs you had before your current role.
In college, I went to UCLA and studied economics. I also studied Urban Regional Studies, or urban planning, although I didn't know much about it until I went to school and met some professors in that field.
I was interested in cities and public service. While at UCLA, I participated in UniCamp, which is the university's largest student charity that works with children. This experience sparked my next move to Teach for America.
I taught for Teach for America for two years in New York City as a high school special education teacher. It was a transformative time that solidified my desire to continue in public service.
After Teach for America, I returned to UCLA for my master's in public policy. I really enjoyed that program, as it had a strong connection to urban planning. I learned a lot about economics, statistics, policy, and service.
My first job after graduate school was as a finance budget analyst for the Department of Finance in Sacramento, which is my hometown. I worked on the governor's budget, which I fell into after an internship there turned into a job. It was my first time in state service and working for the government in that capacity.
I was surprised by the large dollar amounts we worked with for the state. The state of California is the fifth largest economy in the world, and our office handled revenues, economic analysis, forecasting, program evaluation, auditing, accounting, and budgeting. I was on the budget side, planning how the governor wanted to spend the state's money.
When I started in 2018, there was a lot of money. Then COVID happened, and we had significantly less. It was all very interesting, though it became stressful.
I transitioned to a new job, still in budgeting, but I wanted to try something different. I moved to Seattle and started working for the city, doing a very similar thing. I'm still budgeting for the city, but now I budget for the mayor.
I've also changed policy focuses a few times. I was previously working on childcare, human services, and education. Now, I'm focused on public safety, policing, and emergency management. And that's where I am today.