KateLynn Schmitt
Finance Director, North Shore Fire Department
What was the very first paying job you held (that you paid taxes on)?
In local government I first worked as an Intern for the City of Whitewater while I was getting my undergraduate degree.
What was your: undergraduate institution? Graduate institution? What was/were your degree(s) in?
University of Wisconsin – Whitewater/University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Bachelors of Science in Public Administration/Master’s of Public Administration
What class(es) (if any) are applicable to your job today?
Accounting, Economics, Law, Speech, Municipal Management, Non-Profit Accounting, Budgeting
Do you have a work or life motto? What is it?
I can do anything, but not everything.
What book are you currently reading? Would you recommend it?
The Bell Jar, Yes.
Other than ELGL – do you belong to any other professional associations? Which one(s)?
Wisconsin City County Managers Association/Wisconsin Government Finance Officers Association
What’s the best networking advice for job seekers you’ve heard or shared?
Try to attend events and talk to people about what they do. I’ve found people in the municipal management world love to connect, help and cultivate new talent.
What’s the fastest way to NOT get a job or internship with you? (e.g. what should potential applicants avoid doing if they were to ever interview with you for a position).
Seem unenthusiastic about the work. This goes for any position anybody is ever applying for. If you are disinterested in the work you are doing or are applying to do it is always very apparent to me, and those applicants move down my list quickly.
Why should an undergraduate student consider a career working in local government?
I appreciate the fact that no two positions in local government are the same. There’s many different positions in local government to choose from and they all impact the lives of the residents you serve in some way. Any time I ever tell someone what I do they are always interested and likely have heard something in the news recently about a project I or the community I serve is working on. I try very hard not to take for granted the trust the public puts in me and my colleagues to do they best thing for their communities.