City Hall Selfie Day

As local government professionals, we’re all aware of the ongoing challenges in engaging the next generation of talent, who will lead our communities into the future. Each of us has the opportunity – and the responsibility to our profession – to assist in this endeavor. One easy way is to participate in #CitySelfieDay! Whether it’s a high schooler whose mind can be opened to new possibilities, a college student looking for direction in their future profession, or someone in the private sector who isn’t aware local government is an option for them – together, we can get the wheels turning in people’s minds to consider serving communities across our state through this fulfilling and rewarding career in public service.

Here what you can do on Tuesday, August 15^th (it won’t take long-just a little pre-planning, you can even do ahead of time!):

• Encourage individual employees, departments, or entire groups to take a picture(s) in front of Village/City Hall (or other government buildings), in their departments or while doing their jobs. Then post on your social media pages – and be creative!
• Have your social media point person include a brief picture caption, below hashtags, social media tags, and link back to ILCMA’s local government careers web page.
• Example for a picture of PW employees in front of a snowplow: “Yes, it’s still summer, but our Public Works team is already looking ahead and checking on equipment to ensure our streets are safe and clear of snow for you this winter.” Want to learn about the wide range of careers in local government? Visit ilcma.org/localgovcareers #CityHallSelfie #LocalGovCareers (you can also link to your organization’s recruiting/openings page if you choose).

Tagging ELGL and ILCMA is also important – below are the social media tags:

You can also tag other local government professional associations, if applicable – e.g. American Public Works Association (https://www.apwa.org/), Government Finance Officers Association (https://www.gfoa.org/)  (Social links can be found at the bottom of the websites).

Keep this effort moving forward!

• Consider sharing your City Hall Selfie Day photo(s) in your next print or E-newsletter – and be sure to link to ILCMA’s local gov careers page at ilcma.org/localgovcareers.
• Remember to document the experience in your organization’s communications calendars so it continues each year! You can also feature different aspects of the profession all year long through social media/newsletters – not just when you have an opening – to keep the ball rolling and keep the wide array of professional opportunities in local government top of mind!