
Dallas Moore
Program Analyst
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice
Program Analyst
I conduct internal performance and program reviews and external audits of federal grants.
For a Program Analyst, a typical day involves analyzing large amounts of data, including spreadsheets and other documents. We test compliance of the program with the current laws, regulations, and statutes. We also look for any fraud, waste, or abuse in any of the programs we are reviewing, along with trying to find ways to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of those programs. You also have to be able to clearly communicate and write about what you have done.
Here's the first step for everyone
At the very least, have a college degree. No one is hired in my field without a college degree. Business, Accounting, or Public Administration degrees work very well in my career. Be familiar with analyzing data, working with spreadsheets, and writing with Microsoft Word, etc. Be open to working with teams and sometimes independently. You will also need to communicate your findings to upper level executives.
"I was never discouraged during my journey. I had lots of encouragement from family and friends."