The Partnership for Public Service recently featured Whittaker on its “Profiles in Public Service<\/a>\u201d podcast, which features the untold stories and accomplishments of public servants and traces their journey into government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The episode also featured Amber Chaudhry, a customer experience lead at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and one of the first federal employees to be highlighted by Humans of Public Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Together, Chaudhry and Whittaker discussed their paths to public service and their advice for those looking to launch a federal career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before starting Humans of Public Service, Whittaker worked at the General Services Administration and as contract specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, he was inspired to make an impact in a different way: by celebrating the diverse stories of federal employees to paint a more positive picture of what our government does\u2014a critical venture at a time when trust in government continues to lag<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “I think we\u2019ve heard a whole lot about how government\u2019s been described in the past. I wanted to offer a counterpoint to that and ideally show some of the diversity and the different people that are energized by working in the government and why they do it,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chaudhry joined Whittaker on the podcast and discussed her efforts to design services that meet people\u2019s needs to government at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, as a customer experience lead at HUD, she works to increase accessibility and provide a seamless customer experience for those who rely on the agency\u2019s services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The goal of our team is to introduce and elevate the opinions, feelings and perspectives of customers across the entire ecosystems of services that HUD supports and provides,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whittaker and Chaudhry also offered advice for young professionals interested in entering the civil service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Don\u2019t believe that the path is straight,\u201d Whittaker said. \u201cEveryone\u2019s path is different, and I think there\u2019s something to explore in regard to the going in and out of government and where that takes you and where that gets you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chaudhry emphasized the value of finding mentors and champions. \u201cMentors are people who can give you advice and help you navigate a situation, while champions will open doors for you and advocate for you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humans of Public Service has highlighted the work of some of our Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals\u00ae<\/a> winners, such as NASA\u2019s Gregory Robinson<\/a> for his work in overseeing the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases\u2019 Dr. H. Clifford Lane<\/a> for his life-saving research over the last several decades and the <\/a>Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s Cindy Newberg<\/a> for playing a key role in an international agreement to decrease the use of climate-damaging chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n If you are interested in learning about the unsung accomplishments and stories of our nation\u2019s public servants, check out Humans of Public Service on Instagram<\/a> and LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And to hear more inspiring stories, listen to \u201cProfiles in Public Service\u201d on any streaming platform. Episodes featuring United States Agency for International Development Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen and Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey will be released this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEpisode highlights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Advice for starting a public service career<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
More on \u2018Profiles in Public Service\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"2022](\"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/All-winners-e1663794420227-1024x384.jpg\")