AYSPS Alumni Spotlight: Q&A With Michael Polacek

Question: What was your graduation year and degree?
Answer: I graduated in December 2018 with a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) and a concentration in public policy analysis.

Q: What has your career path looked like since you graduated from Georgia State University?
A: In 2018, I landed a job as a fiscal and policy analyst for the Georgia House Budget and Research Office, with a specific emphasis in healthcare. In 2021, I transitioned to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, where I currently serve as the director of legislative affairs and constituent services.

Q: What advice do you have for current or prospective Georgia State students?
A: It’s just as important to figure out what you don’t want to do as it is figuring out what you think you want to do. My first job out of undergrad was in the addiction recovery field, where I was 99 percent certain I wanted to become a social worker. I was super passionate about this work, but I became much more interested in the macro-policy issues at hand rather than the micro-clinical work.

I never thought this job would expose me to the advocacy/policy world like it did, but that experience ultimately led me to switch to an M.P.A. at Georgia State. Whether it’s an internship or full-time job, you just never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll learn.

A few other suggestions:

• If you’re looking for a career in governmental or legislative affairs, learn the state budget process. You’d be surprised how much of a value-add this can be to your resume.
• Work hard and network hard — pay attention to detail in your deliverables.
• Ask for help if you don’t know something. Remain teachable.
• Networking isn’t just about lunches and other functions, but also about being helpful to others whenever possible.
• And finally, just be a nice human.

Article reprinted from "News From the State Capitol – Feb. 23, 2024” with the permission of Georgia State University’s Office of Government and Community Affairs. Text provided by Michael Polacek (M.P.A. ’18). See the new DBHDD recruitment video here.