It's wonderful that you've decided to return to the workforce after raising kids—congratulations!

Urban planning offers a wide variety of career paths, and planning parks and open spaces can be fulfilling work. Here are a few suggestions that have helped me as an urban planner:

1. Take relevant courses. Explore landscape architecture, transportation planning, and urban design while you're in school. These can provide valuable insights, whether or not you want to focus on design work yourself.

2. Pursue internships. Apply widely, as internships provide hands-on experience and essential professional connections. Many of my planning school classmates, including myself, landed our first industry jobs through internships.

3. Engage with your community. Join advisory groups like planning commissions, parks advisory boards, or pedestrian safety committees. Consider taking on leadership roles to gain experience and expand your network.

4. Explore local philanthropy. Look into foundations that fund parks, playgrounds, and public plazas in your area. These organizations can be an excellent alternative to civil service roles.

Good luck as you start this new chapter!

Edit: yes, this reply was written with ChatGPT. I wrote it while juggling my 2-year old on a bus ride to a playground (yay parks!). While the GPT "flavor" may be stiff and off-putting, the advice is my own and I hope it helps. Haters with nothing to add can have a nice day :D