I'm going to be starting night school next fall (I think) and am also going to have to change careers completely in the meantime.What would be a good career/job to have for the next 3-4 years that might benefit me once I graduate with a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning???
My background is I have zero experience in planning and a BA in PoliSci and my current job is irrelevent. Thanks for the input.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to go ahead and get a job in a planning department. If you're able to do that, it should help you immensely, even if the job is not actually a planner. Also, you might then be able to get your employer to pay for part of your education.
Although I think that it would likely be more suited to undergrads, for job money I would think that delivery driving for a pizza company would be a great way for an aspiring planner to get a good first-hand overview of how cities and neighborhoods are put together, the people whom live and work in them, the comparative qualities of the building stocks, what is and is not working on a sociological, micro-economic and local land-use/zoning level, etc. The money's not bad, either.
But yes, I agree that the first choice would be something in a local planning office.
Mike
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