Public servants make excellent Nava employees because they bring similar values, goals, and skills. Meanwhile, their invaluable government knowledge can enhance project work and client relationships.
When public servants join a vendor team, the benefits are symbiotic. As a vendor employee, public servants can expand their skills and work on a variety of service projects that improve outcomes at every level of government.
However, any career pivot raises important questions. For public servants thinking about transitioning to vendor work, these may include “Will I feel the same sense of purpose working for a vendor?”, “Will I thrive in a remote environment?”, or perhaps most of all, “Will I like my new job?”
We spoke with four Nava employees who have transitioned from government to vendor work. In this article, which has been edited for clarity, they answer the above questions and more.
Featured in this article
Current role at Nava: Product Lead
Previous government roles: Senior Policy Analyst for the Province of British Columbia, Senior Zoning Analyst for the City of Rochester, Business Analyst for the City of Rochester
Current role at Nava: Director of Design for Strategy and Growth
Previous government roles: Director of Design for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Product Manager for MBTA, Director of Design & Service Innovation at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ digital services team
Current role at Nava: Product manager
Previous government roles: Chief Data Officer, Deputy Chief Data Officer, and Project Manager for the City of Los Angeles
Current role at Nava: Program Director, paid family and medical leave portfolio
Previous government roles: Director of ITT Project Management & Procurement, Project Manager, Innovation and Performance Management, Marketing Manager, Special Events Coordinator, all at New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
On challenges that come with transitioning to vendor work
Sarah: My first year at Nava was hard because I was stepping into a bigger role than I had in government and was moving from an on-the-ground operations agency into a role exclusively in public sector technology. I inherited a fragile project, rebuilt relationships, and figured out how to manage a team of 70+ people. Even six months into working at Nava, I didn’t think my skills or experience were transferable or that I was “good enough.”
Eventually, I realized that my perspective and experience could help our team serve clients more effectively. Working hard, building a support system, having a commitment to learning, and caring about meaningful outcomes will serve you well no matter where you work.
Harlan: You have to be ready to shift from a driver to an advisor role. As a government employee, I was used to vendors bringing me a problem that I would solve. Now, I need to remember that serving as a trusted advisor doesn’t mean solving all of the problems; it means giving our government partners the resources, knowledge, and data to solve the problem.
On transferable skills
Harlan: Regarding my previous answer, I think I was able to embrace that trusted advisor role because I have empathy for what our government partners are going through. I understand the myriad roadblocks our partners face because I experienced so many of them.
Nava has so many employees who share this understanding because they also came from government. That’s what makes us great delivery partners.
Jill: Government work is always done in an ecosystem — it’s rarely linear, it’s subject to political change, and it requires strong relationships. The skill of being able to navigate the ecosystem is foundational to succeeding in technology projects at Nava.
For example, former government employees can use their knowledge of the ecosystem to advocate for positive change. Legislation and processes are not written in stone, but sometimes they may seem unchangeable. Former government employees have the skills to help build buy-in for regulation, process, or policy improvements that can result in outsize impacts for the public.
Eva: Government employees are excellent at prioritization because they’re asked to do so much with few resources. That skill transfers cleanly to Nava, particularly for product managers who must prioritize their team’s work and set goals over the course of a sprint or several sprints.
Sarah: I worked for some incredible leaders who taught me what high-functioning government looks like through boom and bust times. If you’re a long-term government employee, like I was, you gain a depth of systems knowledge that helps you prioritize and execute on the complex service delivery challenges that our clients bring to Nava.
As a public servant, I had to wear so many hats while navigating endless constraints. The work ethic, discipline, tenacity, and relentless optimism that I honed as a public servant has helped me deliver for my state government clients in the ways that seem to resonate.
On working in a remote environment
Jill: I love the flexibility of remote work and I’m grateful for the calming impact it has on my family life.
That said, I miss face-to-face conversations, office donuts, and celebrating milestones in-person. I try to recreate these types of connections by making space for office banter, which helps me get to know my colleagues.
Eva: Overall, I prefer remote work. As a parent, it provides me with the flexibility I need to work and care for my child. However, communication is key in a remote environment, which in my case, means holding more meetings than I would in-person.
Sarah: It took me a while to adjust to the remote-first culture. I don’t live in New York City to work from my tiny apartment; I prefer working in a traditional office.
Yet, as a member of the sandwich generation, I’ve grown to love the flexibility. Nava has a dedicated co-working space in Manhattan, which I try to use 2-3 times per week. In my role, I’m also able to travel to meet with my clients or Nava teammates in-person, which brings the sense of connection I crave.
On advice for public servants considering a career pivot
Harlan: Recognize and embrace that vendors occupy a different part of the ecosystem. You can’t join a company like Nava and expect to have the same role you did in government. But even though the work is different, the mission is the same, the values are the same, and we’re all working towards the same goal.
Eva: If you’re looking to expand your skill set, work on a variety of projects, and benefit from more workplace flexibility, then coming to Nava is a great move. For me, the company has delivered on all three of those points.
Sarah: Take the leap of faith! You belong. The vendor side of government contracting will benefit from your commitment to improving government services, and you don’t have to compromise your values. You know how to exceed your government clients’ expectations and how to manage the vendor team to meet those needs. You can always go back into government — likely at a higher level than you were when you left. Plus you can pay off those student loans faster.
