Essay Contest
The Human Resources Department invites your 12th grade students to enter its 14th annual Public Service Recognition Week Essay Contest.
Essay contest participants are asked to write about how they would make a difference as an employee of Houston Municipal Government.
2008 Winners Announced
Patty Soong, Mirabeau B. Lamar Sr. High School, HISD
Nashid Shinthia, Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, HISD
Luyang Jin, Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, HISD
Margay Dean, Clear Lake High School, Clear Creek ISD
Stacey Isidro, Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, HISD
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 Essay Rules
Requirements:
Essay must be:
- 500 words or less, typewritten and double-spaced,
with one-inch margins on all four sides.
- Accompanied by a title page showing the
student’s name, complete address, including
street or apartment number, city and zip code,
phone number with area code, school name with
phone number including area code and supervising
teacher’s name. Include your e-mail
address if you have one. Staple the title
page to the essay. Do not write any identifying
information on the essay itself.
- Composed by a senior from a Houston area
high school (see list of eligible
school districts)
- Organized in the following manner: thesis
statement, arguments, conclusion.
Essays that do not comply with the above requirements will automatically
be eliminated.
Selection Criteria:
The winning essays will be selected on the basis of:
- Organization and accurate presentation
- Creativity
- Proper spelling, grammar and punctuation
We encourage students to interview one or more city employees working
in the jobs they write about.
Contest Prizes:
Fiesta will also give $350 to the school attended by the first-place winner to be used by the winner’s supervising teacher to further enrich the students’ classroom experience and $350 to the school with the most entries in the final round of judging.
Topic: Making a Difference in the Houston
Municipal Government Career You Choose
Use one of the careers on the attached list of city jobs or choose a different
city career and write an essay about the following topic:
If I were a _____________, What a Difference I Would Make.
Deadline:
Essays will be accepted by mail only and must
be postmarked no later than Saturday, March 15,
2008.
Mail to:
Essay Contest
City of Houston Human Resources Department
611 Walker, 4A
Houston, Texas 77002
Download essay rules
Download essay flyer
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Job Descriptions
Below are brief descriptions of some city of Houston jobs. You may want
to write or draw about one of these jobs. If not, there are thousands
more city jobs you can write or draw about including those in the Mayor,
City Controller, City Council, and City Secretary’s offices. Click here for a complete list of job classifications.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Contract Compliance Officer: Interviews city contractors and vendors to monitor their compliance with contract regulations. Recruits and maintains contractors, vendors, and licensees. Audits certified payrolls to verify payment of prevailing wage rates. Promotes the division’s programs at trade fairs and community meetings. Conducts certification classes for the Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and the Persons with Disabilities Business Enterprise programs.
Community Involvement Coordinator: Plans, coordinates, and conducts seminars for small businesses. Writes press releases and articles for the department newsletter; establishes and maintains community liaisons; promotes programs among community groups.
Affirmative Action Specialist: Investigates employee discrimination and equal employment opportunity complaints and counsels employees. Reports investigation findings and recommends corrective actions. Monitors city departments to ensure compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action programs.
AVIATION DEPARTMENT
Airport Manager: Oversees all operations at an airport serving millions of travelers and thousands of flights every year. Coordinates operations with airlines, employees, construction contractors, maintenance personnel, and safety and security agents.
Graphic Arts Specialist: Designs educational illustrations about the airports and air travel that inform and capture public interest. Develops brochures and videos that promote air travel using city airports. (Many departments employ graphic arts specialists.)
Properties Specialist: Administers and coordinates land development and leases and manages airport rental properties. Develops and coordinates activities at the airports from food concessions to rental car companies and airline services.
Special Services Representative: Uses multilingual skills to help foreign and domestic travelers through the airports and to give them visitor information.
BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Senior Project Manager: Oversees design and construction contracts for city facilities such as police and fire stations, libraries and office buildings.
Architect: Oversees selection of design architects who design city projects and facilities. Negotiates design, engineering and landscape architecture contracts.
Licensed Engineer: Manages building design and construction. Analyzes building structures and approves city facilities’ design plans.
Energy Engineer: Acquires the electricity and natural gas needed to operate city buildings and facilities, then manages the energy those sources create. Training in mechanical engineering and thermal sciences is required. Proficiency in lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, building design specifications and water and wastewater processes also required.
Property Manager: Responds first to emergencies in city buildings. Responsible for safety of people in buildings and operation and maintenance of the buildings’ structure, their mechanical systems and landscape architecture.
Chief Stationary Engineer: Supervises the daily operation of a city physical plant and maintenance of the building facility, Ensures proper energy conservation and water treatment.
CONVENTION & ENTERTAINMENT
FACILITIES DEPARTMENT
Parking Manager: Responsible for all aspects of a 3,700-car, three-level parking garage in the heart of downtown Houston. Coordinates the needs of office workers who park in the garage during the day as well as the needs of those who park there at night to attend theater events. Also responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and long-term capital projects within the facility.
Event Coordinator: Responsible for nearly every aspect of events held at George R. Brown Convention Center, Jones Hall and Wortham Center. Present at all events to ensure proper management of event operations.
Manager, Theater District Parks: Coordinates outdoor events and long-term maintenance of Jones Plaza, Ray C. Fish Plaza and Sesquicentennial Park. This includes event setup, troubleshooting during events, and cleanup afterward. These outdoor properties may receive flood damage.
Engineering tech, George R. Brown Convention Center: Using AutoCad software, this person creates computerized floor plans of how the exhibit halls and meetings rooms at the George R. Brown can be set up during conventions, corporate meetings and social galas. Also creates diagrams to showcase how future development and capital projects will impact existing properties.
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT
Financial Analyst: Prepares financial reports such as monthly status reports, revenue and expenditure change analyses, and 5-year forecasts for the city budget. Helps prepare the city’s annual operating budget.
311 Telecommunicator: Uses customer service and communications skills on the phone to find answers to a vast range of questions posed by residents.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Arson Investigator: Investigates fires, collects evidence, interviews witnesses and suspects and takes written statements. Also documents the investigation with photographs and reports and testifies on the findings in court.
Paramedic: Provides emergency medical care. Evaluates, treats and transports the sick and injured at emergency scenes.
Firefighter: Fights fires, rescues victims, maintain fire stations and fire vehicles and performs other duties as an entry-level firefighter.
Hazardous Materials Response Team: Performs site assessment, victim removal, search and rescue, container evaluation, threat assessment, smoke and toxic gas ventilation, identification and analysis of the material, and evacuation. Establishes a safe work area.
Rescue Team: Rescues victims of vehicle and industrial entrapments, tunnels, swift water, confined spaces, structural collapse and trench cave-ins.
Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting: Certified emergency medical technicians provide a safe exit path for and timely rescue of aircraft accident victims.
Firestoppers Councilor: Provides education and prevention for children who have played with or set fires before further injury, death or problems with the law.
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Animal Control Officer: Impounds stray, diseased and dangerous animals. Investigates animal ordinance violations.
Veterinarian: Examines, gives shots and performs surgery on animals.
Dentist: Helps prevent tooth decay, provides healthy eating habits and dental hygiene, fills cavities and provides other corrective services for children and pregnant women.
Environmental Quality Specialist: Investigates and regulates air and water quality complaints by citizens and industry.
Sanitarian: Monitors and inspects restaurants' compliance with health codes and regulations and provides educational services for restaurant owners/managers.
Epidemiologist: Conducts disease investigations and works to identify disease sources. Provides statistical analysis of the community's health for planning and prevention.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Loan Officer: Reviews and evaluates HCDD real estate and commercial loan proposals to determine the financial feasibility of each project. Provides general counseling and technical assistance to prospective clients. Performs in-depth credit analysis and verifies financial statements and participating lender’s documentation.
Senior Planner: Performs administrative and comprehensive planning activities. Provides information assistance and consultation to professional organizations, developers, business community and general public. Monitors and makes recommendations on various projects and programs conducted by external departments, agencies and organizations.
Community Involvement Coordinator: Functions as a liaison between the department, community civic clubs and organizations to promote and coordinate department programs. Entertains suggestions from civic groups and apprises management of issues, concerns and needs. Helps to promote and coordinate special event activities among staff, media and the community. Provides information and referral services to the community at large.
HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER
9-1-1 Telecommunicator: Answers emergency calls from people who need firefighters, police or an ambulance. Must be calm and courteous when faced with critical situations.
HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
Communications Specialist: Research, interview, write, edit and proof internal and external communications, including newsletters, annual reports, brochures, scripts, press releases, event programs, and flyers. Responsible for generating stories ideas and writing feature articles, following the AP Stylebook. Use photojournalism skills to take digital-camera pictures suitable for publication.
Field Safety Representative: Investigates on-the-job accidents and accidents involving city vehicles. Audits jobs with regard to safe working conditions. Teaches classes in defensive driving, first aid, CPR, back safety, etc.
Workers’ Compensation Case Manager: Oversees doctors and insurance company third-party administrators as they care for injured workers. Makes sure employees see the appropriate physician for their injuries. Develops and implements policies for the return-to-work program and trains supervisors to use the program.
Employee Assistance Program Counselor: Confidentially counsels city employees and their families. Helps employees cope with substance abuse, emotional distress and marital, family or legal problems.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Programmer Analyst: Designs and writes mainframe computer programs. Helps other city employees solve their computer programming problems.
System Consultant: Provides technical advice to assist identify and resolve computer system problems. Reviews and investigates application system to diagnose problems and offer solutions. Designs, codes and implements complex complex computer programs and acts as project leader. Computer Operator: Directs, controls, and monitors mainframe computer operations. Performs routine maintenance and troubleshooting of mainframe computer equipment and peripherals.
LEGAL DEPARTMENT
Legal Abstractor: Researches, collects and chronicles public records that show the ownership of real property.
Legal Assistant: Performs legal research and drafting of legal documents under the supervision of a licensed attorney. This requires a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of the practice of law. Prepares and maintains case files and assists attorneys in trial preparation. Performs investigative functions and researches legal issues in preparation of court cases. Monitors the filing of pleadings with both the district and federal courts.
Assistant City Attorney: Prosecutes violations in municipal courts, prepares opinions and ordinances, and provides legal adviceto city departments and agencies.
LIBRARY DEPARTMENT
Librarian III, Branch Manager: Manages branch library and personnel, supervises and trains staff, assigns duties, plans work schedules, selects books and other library materials, provides reference services in person and on the telephone.
Librarian IV, Assistant Coordinator: Helps develop system collections to support the library. Implements needed changes. Conducts training and orientation at agencies. Represents the library in professional organizations and in the community.
Librarian V, Coordinator of Youth Services: Coordinates youth services in entire system, supervises After School Programs Inspire Reading Enrichment program (ASPIRE). Plans, develops and implements new services for youth. Meets with government officials, business and professional representatives and promotes library services through community agencies.
MUNICIPAL COURTS ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT
Deputy Court Clerk: Serves as an official of the court, prepares the courtroom and assists the judge with daily dockets, calls the names of citizens appearing before the judge, interfaces with the prosecutor, the defendants and their attorneys, documents judicial orders.
MUNICIPAL COURTS JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT
Court Translator: Translates verbal and written communications from one language to another and provides simultaneous translation of spoken passages from one language to another in municipal court.
Municipal Court Judge: Responsible for arraignments, jury trials, court trials, pleas and sentencing.
Court Reporter: The official recorder and records custodian for trials and appeals. Provides verbatim recording of court proceedings using stenography, manual shorthand, closed microphone recording and/or direct recording at the court’s discretion.
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Safety Supervisor: Investigates vehicle accidents and personal on-the-job injury inquiries as well as all aspects of safety that relate to department employees, equipment and hazardous materials. Also inspects park facilities and amenities.
Deputy Director of Facilities Development and Maintenance: Directs and manages the design and development of parks and supervises maintenance and construction personnel.
Horticulturist: Operates greenhouses, maintains plant beds and foliage, buys horticultural supplies and plants, provides updates on plant diseases and insect problems, presents programs to garden clubs and other organizations.
Golf Pro: Manages city golf courses, handles finances, gives golf lessons, schedules golf tournaments and serves as game official.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Neighborhood Planner: Works with communities to revitalize and stabilize neighborhoods. Helps neighborhood civic and business groups organize and tackle issues in their community, such as developing new housing, providing additional parks and green space, bringing new businesses into the area and reducing neighborhood blight.
Historic Preservation Officer: Analyzes properties for historic and archaeological significance and presents requests for historic designation to the Archaeological and Historical Commission. Provides education to neighborhoods about the benefit of historic preservation.
Geographic Information Computer Specialist: Builds a database containing links to geographic locations in the city from which detailed maps are produced. (For instance, maps may show data such as land use; demographic data, like age, race, gender and average income in areas where city facilities are located.) Elected officials and government agencies use these maps for policy-making decisions.
Community Service Inspectors: Serves on neighborhood protection team that investigates dangerous buildings, overgrown weeds, junk cars and trash and housing code violations. Inspectors also testify in court at dangerous building hearings, participate in civic meetings, block walks, community cleanups and code enforcement.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Dive Master (HPD Dive Team): Searches for and recovers vehicles, drowning victims, weapons and evidence in Houston's waterways.
Canine Officer: Uses dogs to search for suspects, evidence, lost persons, narcotics and explosives and to maintain crowd control. Investigates prowler calls and backs up regular patrol units. Feeds and grooms police dogs.
Mounted Officer: Part of an elite force that rides horses while maintaining order, handling crimes and disturbances and responding to requests in the downtown area.
Juvenile Sex Crimes/Physical Abuse Investigator: Interviews complainants and witnesses, including physicians and caseworkers. Reviews referrals of child sexual abuse allegations and makes reports. Reviews medical reports pertinent to sex crimes and/or physical abuse investigations. Performs computer criminal history checks, driver license inquiries and tracks suspects by patterns or modus operandi. Presents cases to district attorney's office for charges.
School Task Force Officer: Provides help to and acts as a liaison with school district administrators and police officers. Investigates incidents off campus that might relate to the school. Enforces traffic, curfew and truancy laws. Enforces laws and ordinances near schools, particularly weapons, criminal trespass, assault and liquor or narcotics violations. Patrols parks, game rooms and areas near schools.
Forensic Artist: Uses the FBI Facial Identification Catalog and interviews crime victims to draw pictures of suspects to help officers catch criminals.
PUBLIC WORKS & ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Graduate Engineer: (Civil) Oversees the design and construction of streets, sidewalks and water and sewer lines. Plans for future infrastructure needs.
Water or Sewage Plant Manager: (Water) Oversees the process of taking raw water from rivers and lakes and turning it into clean, drinkable water for distribution in the city. Must comply with state and federal water quality standards.
Water or Sewage Plant Manager: (Sewage) Takes used water and cleans it to meet EPA standards for its return to bayous and streams.
Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator: Coordinates the funding, planning, design, construction and maintenance of the city's bikeway network. Develops policies and educational material to increase safety awareness and to promote cycling and walking. Works closely with civil engineers, traffic engineers, planners, police, fire, parks, public officials, other government agencies, the media and private partners to achieve the bikeway program goals.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
Recycling Manager: Implements recycling program, educates community about recycling. Manages special projects, such as the Curbside Recycling, Yard Waste and Christmas Tree Recycling programs.
Automated Collection Truck Driver: Operates the truck and high-tech equipment to collect residential garbage from the curb. Also answers citizens’ questions about automated garbage collection.
Dead Animal Crew: Collects dead animals from city streets and rights of way. Answers questions from the public about the retrieval of dead animals throughout the city.
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Essay Important Dates
Deadline
for entries:
Deadline is March 15, 2008.
Sign up
for e-mail updates here.
Awards
ceremony:
May 9, 2008
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2008 Winners Announced
Patty Soong, Mirabeau B. Lamar Sr. High School, HISD, "If I Were a Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator, What a Difference I Would Make." Supervising teacher: Amy Murdock.
Patty won a $2,000 scholarship donated by the Indo-American Charity Foundation.
Nashid Shinthia, Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, HISD, "If I Were a Librarian V, Coordinator of Youth Services, What a Difference I Would Make." Supervising teacher: Margo Hicks.
Nashid won a $1,000 scholarship donated by the Indo-American Charity Foundation.
Luyang Jin, Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, HISD, "If I Were a Court Translator, What a Difference I Would Make." Supervising teacher: Margo Hicks. Luyang won a $600 scholarship donated by Fiesta Mart Inc.
Margay Dean, Clear Lake High School, Clear Creek ISD, "If I Were a Communications Specialist, What a Difference I Would Make." Supervising teacher:Christopher Guajardo.
Margay won a $400 scholarship from Fiesta Mart Inc.
Stacey Isidro, Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, HISD, "If I Were a Golf Pro,, What a Difference I Would Make." Supervising teacher: Margo Hicks. Stacey won a $300 scholarship donated by Fiesta Mart Food Stores.
Fiesta Mart Inc. will give $350 to the first-place winner’s school, Mirabeau B. Lamar Sr. High School, to be used by the student’s supervising teacher, Amy Murdock, to enrich classroom education.
Fiesta will give $350 to Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, the school with the most essays in the final round of judging.
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Essay Contest Contact
Contest
coordinator:
Dave Schafer
City of Houston, Human Resources
611 Walker, 4-A
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 837-9386
dave.schafer@cityofhouston.net
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