probation officer

attorney

teaching assistant

planner

legal clerk

Placer County

 A typical day at work was very dynamic. I handled a wide variety of administrative tasks: answering phones, scheduling, filing, handing out permits, and acting as the nexus between inspectors out in the field and different groups in the office. I also supported the Short-Term Rental (STR) program, and frequently helped people with questions about defensible space, phone numbers for different departments, or other permit details. Some days I would manage 30+ calls, other days only a handful, but there was always something to be filed or organized.

From this job, I learned how to juggle many responsibilities at once, communicate clearly with both the public and coworkers, and streamline systems — for example, I left behind upgrades to the filing system that made things more efficient. I also gained insight into how county programs like STR operate and how important administrative support is in keeping things running smoothly.

Management was sometimes confusing because I was employed through the staffing agency, but worked under a county manager and sub-manager with overlapping instructions. The staffing agency also had extra rules that the county itself didn’t, which made it harder to take time off or know exactly what was expected. That said, the workplace culture at the county was excellent — professional, supportive, and filled with great people who valued the work.

The hardest part of the job wasn’t the complexity of the tasks, but simply the volume — so much came across my desk because no one with my skill set had been in that role before. The most enjoyable part was being in a great environment, helping people directly, and knowing my work had a real impact. I truly wish they had kept me on longer so I could continue building on the improvements I started.

In short, I now know more about building code and how the county is run and I’ve ever wanted but I’m a better person because of all this and I hope that those were interacted with me got the best from me as well. 

A typical day at work would be to set up the classroom for 3, 4, and 5 year olds, then supervise, type observations and take photos, play, and bond w/the children. I prepared a lesson plan bi-weekly which consisted of art, math, science, language and literacy, manipulatives, and gross motor skills. I had 22 children in the am class, and 18 children in the pm class, along with 2 coworkers,1 Site Supervisor, and an Associate Teacher like me. We had snack daily and cleaned up after each class and prepared for the next day. We helped one another with all of the children and the challenging behavioral children to the best of our ability. We were understaffed which made it stressful. The environment was small which made it crowded. Circle time was a challenge because of certain children and the space. I learned that in order for everyone's success, you need to work as a team and implement effective communication. Staff meetings are a must on a weekly basis. Management should participate in helping staff in a positive manner. The hardest part of the job was when many children needed you at the same time, and when the children would get physical with each other hurting one another {we would always help them to work it out}. The most enjoyable parts of the job were the nurturing, bonding moments with the precious children and witnessing their growth and spending either 1 or 2 years with them and their families building relationships and memories for the rest of their lives.

Working as a CPS Investigator for the past three years has been the most challenging of all of my time with Placer County.  A typical day involved responding to Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations to interview children and parents in order to determine whether abuse or neglect occurred and what needs to happen going forward.  The part I enjoyed the most was working with the families to try to mediate what brought them to CPS' attention initially.  The hardest part was the sheer volume of investigations, which made it difficult to do my best clinical work with families.  It was also very taxing emotionally to see children who have been traumatized by child abuse and/or neglect.  The team of social workers who do the investigations at Placer County, however, are phenomenal.  They try very hard to keep a positive work environment despite the challenging circumstances of that line of work.

What is the best part of working at the company?
A horrible place to work.  Nothing good to say about being employed at County of Placer.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Dealing with horrible supervisors and managers.  Some of them micromanage to the point you are unable to function anymore.  I was "followed" to my desk by my manager, and then he proceeded to yell at me because I asked a visitor if they were being helped.  He told me he sent us an email regarding the visitor, and that I did Not need to ask the visitor for assistance.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I worked in several departments, and my experiences were very negative, such as:  micromanagement; total control over the employees/employees are being constantly "watched".  Management showed complete disrespect to their employees, and they were "full of themselves".

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A very depressing and toxic work environment.  It felt like you're swimming with sharks, and you may be bitten at any moment.

Very few in management have any leadership skills. Co-workers are usually a pretty cool bunch that do their best despite the lack of leadership. Have found this to be true in many departments.
Benefits are the best part, compensation is ruled by tax dollars, so you'll always be under paid compared to private industry. 
Employee Engagement is attempting to happen, time will tell if management figures out that the term means they need to be engaging their employees. 
Lots of new and young people joining the teams, lots of older folks retiring. Not much proactive planning for mentorships, so lots of local knowledge leaving with retirees.
The worst part is all the antiquated software. No new computer makes a difference. It's all slow and time consuming. But again, upgrading would use tax dollars and no one's figured out how to make the expense palatable to the public.
Co-workers keep me coming back.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Pension and benefits and an affordable place to live in California.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Some co-workers can be petty, but that is not unique.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Most people really want to help improve the lives of those that live in this county.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Go to the office, get settled in and check my email and phone messages. Supervise employees and ensure everyone is getting along. Supervise people on probation.

A typical day with Placer County, is going out and making a difference in the eyes of children and helping them succeed. I've learned so many different skills working with Placer County, the biggest skill is patience and scheduling especially working with special needs but  I love every minute of it. Management is awesome, the co- workers are just as awesome. My hardest part of the job would be working with the autistic children because there is a lot to learn. The most enjoyable part of the job is as I mentioned earlier, Going out and making a different in the eyes of children

I started out with dispensing medications to the mentally ill.  Daily we would get new clients and I would Admit them.  Daily I would write progress notes.  I helped clients with their daily hygiene and then go teach living skills at their day re-hab center.  Most classes were to help then with their daily living skills. The hardest part of the job was to admit a client to a more restricted environment,however most of my job duties were enjoyable as I like to see improvement in the clients well being and there were a lot of success stories.

I worked as the receptionist and was required to do work outside my job description. I learned new management programs, time management programs and new forms and procedures. The management was only in two days a week and did not acknowledge me other than sharp questions. It was a cliquish environment. The hardest part of the job was not knowing how to answer questions put to me and not getting the support to correctly answer them. Most enjoyable part of the job was the veterans.

Great place to work.
Really great benefits, 5 weeks paid vacation throughout the school year, work life balance is met as we always have weekends off.  You develop a great working team sometimes while making life long friends. 
Sometimes the work day can be stressful but we get paid decent. 
I've been here for 5 years. Everyday is a new day and can be fun. Working with the students is rewarding and it's definitely worth checking out! Plenty of benefits that make it worth while!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Probation officer 4 salaries reported	$35.36 per hour
Attorney 5 salaries reported	$62.41 per hour
Teaching assistant 10 salaries reported	$26.05 per hour
Planner 8 salaries reported	$55.62 per hour
Legal clerk 5 salaries reported	$28.71 per hour

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