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How to Get a Job on Capitol Hill

Working for a Member of Congress Can Be a Great Career Move

Nov 14, 2008 Simon Etcher

Interested in politics? Have a degree in government and no idea what to do with it? Always been curious how a bill becomes a law? Then a job on Capitol Hill is for you.

But, how does one go about getting a job with a Member of Congress or Senator? It is not as easy as one might think, given that the pay is mediocre and the hours are bad. On top of that, the men and women that represent America have a bit of a reputation for being pains in the neck to work for – with a number of exceptions, of course.

Volunteer for a Member of Congress

A great way to get to know a congressman or congresswoman is to volunteer on their campaign. Members of Congress have to run for reelection every two years, so there is always a campaign around the corner. The downside is that these positions rarely involve salary, so one has to be in a position where money is not the issue, at least for a few months. Once the campaign is over, there tends to be turnover on the staff as people explore new opportunities. That is when having volunteered provides an edge for open positions.

Print Lots of Resumes

If volunteering is out of the question, then the next best plan is to print a whole lot of resumes and start walking the halls on Congress handing them out. This strategy will work even better if you start by requesting what's known as an information interview – an interview where there is no expectation of a job, but where one can learn more about an office and hopefully get a lead on someone else to talk to.

By creating a network of people keeping an eye out for job openings, the chance of hearing about an opportunity increases greatly, as many offices will list jobs publicly but prefer to hire someone they know or a colleague knows.

What Jobs Are There?

In the House of Representatives, the number of staff per Member of Congress numbers about ten. These ten can be divided in different ways, but generally consist of a Chief of Staff who manages the day-to-day operations of the office; the Legislative Director who oversees the legislative staff; two or three legislative assistants who each advise the Member of Congress on a variety of issues; two Legislative Correspondents who manage constituent requests and letter writing; a scheduler; and a couple staff assistants who are glorified interns.

If one is looking for a first job on the Hill after college, then the Legislative Correspondent job is ideal. It is possible to land a higher position, especially if one was a campaign volunteer and the congressperson is junior and, therefore, unlikely to need a seasoned staff at first.

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