How to get urban planner jobs

Urban planners are responsible for a number of important functions within the planning and development of cities. Urban planners can work on zoning layouts as part of town planning. They can help to work out plans for how utilities like electricity, water and sewer will be distributed. They can also help to organise how a town will be paid out. Getting planner jobs requires extensive knowledge of urban planning, so you will need to be prepared to get the proper education and experience if you want to hold an urban planner job.

Get your credentials

A degree The first thing you will need to do if you want to get a job in urban planning is to go to school. You need a minimum of a bachelor's degree in most cases to get a job in urban planning, unless you already have extensive experience in the field. This means going to school and majoring in urban planning or a related field. Be sure to do well in school and excel in your courses as this will help you to get into a good Masters or graduate program in urban planning. An advanced degree The next step to get urban planning jobs is usually to get an advanced degree. You can get a masters in urban planning, although some people transition into urban planning after getting degrees in related fields like architecture or engineering. It is best to get a degree in urban planning though if you know this is what you want to do as this will best prepare you to be competitive in the job market.

Get a job

An internship Once you have your education, it is time to actually start trying to get an urban planning job. In some cases, to get planning work, you may need to have hands on experience. This means it may be a good idea to start with an internship so you can learn on the job. An internship can also help you make contacts to get jobs in town-planning or urban planning from people who you work with in the field. Urban planning jobs are often offered through government agencies. So, these can be a good place to start to look for either a full-time job or an internship when looking to start a planning career.