From English to Public Affairs
May 17, 2002

Part-writer, part-student, part-translator, Jennifer Franet (English `01) works to build information bridges between Bay Area government research labs and clean-up sites and local communities.

Career Center (CC): What field are you in and what is your current position?

Jennifer Franet (JF): I work in the Office of Public Affairs for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration in the Oakland Operations Office (OAK). I am a public affairs specialist concentrating in community relations and outreach.

CC: What are your main job responsibilities?

JF: My main ongoing responsibilities are to publish a community involvement newsletter, reach new audiences for it, and create and maintain our mailing database; to write the OAK Monthly Accomplishments Report; to attend public meetings involving the OAK labs (Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) or clean up sites (Energy Technology Engineering Center in Simi Valley); and to support all public affairs functions as needed.

CC: What experiences/training were important in getting you to where you are in your career?

JF: I majored in English with concentrations in creative writing and ethnic studies and my background is in teaching, mentoring, and tutoring. My degree and work experience gave me skills that are useful in public affairs, where written and verbal communications are important. Those qualifications got me the interview, and my outgoing personality, willingness to learn, and ability to think on my toes got me the job.

CC: What do you like about your work?

JF: I love learning about the incredible research that goes on at the labs. I find it mentally stimulating (and sometimes frustrating!) to keep up with local and government news relevant to my job -- news that involves energy policies, the environment, nuclear research, nonproliferation, and stockpile stewardship. I enjoy the variety of tasks. I especially enjoy the community outreach work that I do, such as coordinating book donations to public schools and volunteering for Junior Achievement. On several occasions I've been tasked with writing short speeches for the OAK Manager and with writing short letters from other persons to OAK. This involves me closing my door and channeling, say, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham.

CC: What are some drawbacks?

JF: Working for the government, in general, means that changes occur slowly -- there are checks and balances and procedures and levels of authority and red tape. Working for public affairs, specifically, means that there are many issues that I learn about and would like to be able to work on but can't. I see my primary role as that of an information bridge -- members of the public have questions and concerns, and I connect them to the correct persons, institutions, or resources. Also, because assignments can trickle down from headquarters or from other sources, it's not uncommon for my usual work to be interrupted by a task that seems to appear out of nowhere, and, once I've finished it, disappears again. In those instances, I suppose it's the equivalent of being factory worker #12 who tightens bolt #4 on screw #7 but never gets to see the car roll off the conveyor belt and onto the Autobahn.

CC: Do you have any tips regarding what Cal undergraduates can do to prepare for a career in the field?

JF: Talk to various persons who are already in communications, job shadow if you can, get an internship, and interview. If you don't get the job, ask why, thank them for the interview -- and then interview somewhere else.

CC: Other comments or suggestions?

JF: Before you marry a particular career path, think long and hard about who you are and what you love doing. When considering a particular job, things to consider might include what the actual tasks are that you will be performing and the organization's mission.