Alumna Libby Payan '14 shares public sector career tips
“Get involved!”
Admitting that during SSU Orientation she thought, “Are they getting paid by how many times they say that?” Libby Payan ‘14 offered it as Life Lesson #1 to share with current students during a recent “Industry Insights” seminar.
Payan traced her early career success in public service to taking on roles at Sonoma State that pushed her out of her comfort zone as an introvert.
“I’m not sure I would have done that anywhere else,” she said. “SSU’s smaller campus and classes made it easier to form connections with faculty and other mentors. They gave me the support and safety net I needed to branch out.”
After she wasn’t selected for Summer Orientation Leader or a Peer Mentor the first year she applied, Payan said she got involved in as many clubs, volunteer projects, and other opportunities as she could to improve her chances. The next year she was selected for both roles.
“Becoming a Summer Orientation leader was a huge personal challenge. It broke me completely out of my shell,” she said. That experience served Payan in her first job as Community Outreach Intern with Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART), when she had to lead large-scale safety presentations in schools.
“I was up there in front of hundreds of kids at each school. If you would have told my younger, introverted self that I’d be doing that in my future, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she said.
A double major in Environmental Studies and Planning and Economics, Payan knew she wanted to work in public service, helping people and the environment. She was drawn to city planning after taking a course with Professor Tom Jacobson and hearing from a guest speaker Lois Fisher, whose work is in urban design. Another influence, she said, came from the TV series “Parks & Recreation.”
“I know it sounds cheesy, but something about Amy Poehler’s character made me think, ‘I want to be the Leslie Knope of my agency. That’s my goal.’”
Of all the government agency tracks she considered, Payan said transit planning was not on the list. But when the internship opened up with SMART she said she thought, “That gets me in the realm.”
Life Lesson #2: “Government agencies hire people within the government.”
“In our industry it’s like musical chairs because we all know one another. When a job opens, our first instinct is to look within our own pool,” she said. “You might not get the exact thing you’re looking for, but if you can get your foot in the door and prove yourself, they might promote you.” That was true for Payan, who moved from intern to Assistant Planner during her six years at SMART.
Life Lesson #3: “Even if you think you’re not qualified, still try. You don’t know where it could lead you later in your career.”
Payan started looking for a position in Napa County after she moved there. In 2020, she applied to Napa Valley Transportation Authority, though she knew she didn’t have enough experience. But after going through the interview process, they told her, “We’ll call you when something comes up.” Seven months later, they did, and she landed in her current position.
Life Lesson #4: “Network. Building connections is critical to building success in your career.”
“I know, introverts hear ‘networking,’ and cringe, imagining themselves in a big gathering of people. But networking can just be following the Alumni Association or emailing someone in a field that interests you,” Payan said.
She suggested volunteering, joining organizations and clubs, and applying for internships as other ways to make professional connections.
Payan said she joined the SSU Alumni Association Board with the goal of helping to create more links among alumni and students, and encouraged anyone interested in government work to contact her at LinkedIn or by email at dippeleliz@gmail.com.
“I want to help future Seawolves,” she said. “I plan to keep giving back.”
View the entire webinar with Libby Payan on YouTube, and see past webinars on the Sonoma State Alumni Association YouTube channel.
Click on this link to find out about upcoming Industry Insights webinars.