[JobHuntFilter] How can a recent college-grad, currently interning, find an entry-level job in D.C./NoVA? (more inside)
October 16, 2008 7:38 AM Subscribe
So I graduated in May, came out to DC, did an (unpaid) Capitol Hill internship, am now in the final half of a (paid) internship with a consulting firm. I'm looking for work in politics generally, media/communications/PR, or perhaps even fundraising. I'm pretty flexible.
I've been living on Craigslist, MediaBistro, the Tom Manatos Job List, the Brad Traverse Group, Politico Jobs, Roll Call Jobs, Hill Zoo, the Scott Baker job list, the WaPo classifieds...IT NEVER ENDS, and yet I never seem to find something that is (a) an entry-level position vaguely in my field of interests and (b) the kind of place that hires Democrats.
[I can do non-partisan or bi-partisan work, but this is DC, and it feels like tons and tons of job openings are for Repub groups and members of Congress.]
There's gonna be 25-30 house seats switching to Dems. You'll have some opportunties there. My experience here is that it takes a long time to break in into these types of jobs. The reason there are tons of Republican jobs is because nobody wants them now.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:50 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by Ironmouth at 7:50 AM on October 16, 2008
usajobs.gov
After the election, the lame duck session will (hopefully) pass some sort of budget and Federal hiring will re-commence in earnest. You won't find many Fed jobs listed in any of the places you named, a few perhaps, but USA Jobs is the place for ALL Fed jobs. It's clunky and the KSA process is horse-shit, but this is how you get into government without connections, gobs of money, or the performance of some sort of unsavory act. Seeing as how the Fed does a lttle of everything, you are bound to find someone doing something similar to what you'd like to do. you don't even have to limit yourself to DC.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:03 AM on October 16, 2008
After the election, the lame duck session will (hopefully) pass some sort of budget and Federal hiring will re-commence in earnest. You won't find many Fed jobs listed in any of the places you named, a few perhaps, but USA Jobs is the place for ALL Fed jobs. It's clunky and the KSA process is horse-shit, but this is how you get into government without connections, gobs of money, or the performance of some sort of unsavory act. Seeing as how the Fed does a lttle of everything, you are bound to find someone doing something similar to what you'd like to do. you don't even have to limit yourself to DC.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:03 AM on October 16, 2008
Response by poster: Sorry about the posting flub--this is my first question on AskMeFi and I've already gotten it wrong.
@ Decathecting: My internships have given me some good contacts, for sure--though I could definitely put more into networking etc.
Go to events related to your field (if you told us what it was, we might be able to make suggestions for specific places to look)...
That's the thing. At first I thought "Press Assistant" or "Deputy Press Secretary." Then I thought "Staff Assistant or Legislative Correspondent." As times went on I began to dabble into possibly working for a political pub (Hotline, Politico, etc.). Now I'm actually thinking about stuff in the DSCC/DCCC/DNC. I'm not married to any one field, though I have a background with my university's newspaper. I'm trying to be flexible, needless to say.
@ Ironmouth -- But don't I need to have ties to the states of a member of Congress to score a gig with them?
posted by Franklin76 at 8:04 AM on October 16, 2008
@ Decathecting: My internships have given me some good contacts, for sure--though I could definitely put more into networking etc.
Go to events related to your field (if you told us what it was, we might be able to make suggestions for specific places to look)...
That's the thing. At first I thought "Press Assistant" or "Deputy Press Secretary." Then I thought "Staff Assistant or Legislative Correspondent." As times went on I began to dabble into possibly working for a political pub (Hotline, Politico, etc.). Now I'm actually thinking about stuff in the DSCC/DCCC/DNC. I'm not married to any one field, though I have a background with my university's newspaper. I'm trying to be flexible, needless to say.
@ Ironmouth -- But don't I need to have ties to the states of a member of Congress to score a gig with them?
posted by Franklin76 at 8:04 AM on October 16, 2008
don't I need to have ties to the states of a member of Congress to score a gig with them?
Not even a little bit.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:06 AM on October 16, 2008
Not even a little bit.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:06 AM on October 16, 2008
Best answer: @Pollomacho - you're slightly wrong, it often helps to be from their state.
From my experience, literally the only way to get the kinds of jobs that you want is through connections. You've had a start - your Hill internship - if you want something at one of the committees, you need to use your connections from that to do it. I've worked at the DCCC, and there's almost no chance of them hiring without completely exhausting their own networks first.
posted by awesomebrad at 8:48 AM on October 16, 2008
From my experience, literally the only way to get the kinds of jobs that you want is through connections. You've had a start - your Hill internship - if you want something at one of the committees, you need to use your connections from that to do it. I've worked at the DCCC, and there's almost no chance of them hiring without completely exhausting their own networks first.
posted by awesomebrad at 8:48 AM on October 16, 2008
Have you been volunteering for the Dems during the election? They can always use people to make phone calls, stuff envelopes, etc. That would help you score a job with one of the winning candidates come January.
Also, how wedded are you to the Hill? Think tanks? Lobbying? Law firms? How badly do you need to work? Do you want to look into temping until you can find something full time?
posted by decathecting at 8:48 AM on October 16, 2008
Also, how wedded are you to the Hill? Think tanks? Lobbying? Law firms? How badly do you need to work? Do you want to look into temping until you can find something full time?
posted by decathecting at 8:48 AM on October 16, 2008
Response by poster: @awesome brad--thank you. I now understand the true extent to which I must exploit my network.
@decathecting -- NO! I haven't, and I sort of feel bad, but the thing is that the firm I'm interning for right now...is a fundraising/consulting firm--as in, we work for candidates (and some non-profs) making phone calls all day, putting on fundraisers, and doing courier pickups. It's 45 hours per week (and I live in NOVA, so the commute adds another 10 hours of time lost), so I have been quite reticent to get into the canvassing/phonebanking biz. It would've been wise to have volunteered, but I think my current internship might be able to help secure me some work in Congress...hopefully.
Not wedded to the Hill at all, but I do feel the need to be involved in something...political? Law firms are really on the outer skirts, virtually in the "Nah" territory. Think tanks & lobbying would be swell. I don't need work BADLY...in the sense that I have some support if it takes me a while--but as of Jan 2009 I will have spent 6 months interning...I feel like it's time to "get going," you know what I mean?
Temping is a possibility that I hadn't really considered yet....
posted by Franklin76 at 9:20 AM on October 16, 2008
@decathecting -- NO! I haven't, and I sort of feel bad, but the thing is that the firm I'm interning for right now...is a fundraising/consulting firm--as in, we work for candidates (and some non-profs) making phone calls all day, putting on fundraisers, and doing courier pickups. It's 45 hours per week (and I live in NOVA, so the commute adds another 10 hours of time lost), so I have been quite reticent to get into the canvassing/phonebanking biz. It would've been wise to have volunteered, but I think my current internship might be able to help secure me some work in Congress...hopefully.
Not wedded to the Hill at all, but I do feel the need to be involved in something...political? Law firms are really on the outer skirts, virtually in the "Nah" territory. Think tanks & lobbying would be swell. I don't need work BADLY...in the sense that I have some support if it takes me a while--but as of Jan 2009 I will have spent 6 months interning...I feel like it's time to "get going," you know what I mean?
Temping is a possibility that I hadn't really considered yet....
posted by Franklin76 at 9:20 AM on October 16, 2008
Best answer: Many law firms in DC do lobbying.
You con't mention the Senate Jobs Bulletin (not sure if there's a house equivalent), which would be key.
You mention Mediabistro, but not JournalismJobs.com which you should also be looking at.
Democratic Gain is another place to look.
Lots of the jobs you're looking for won't be advertised beyond the organizations web sites. You don't mention if you're looking there or not, but you should be. For instance, the Progressive Policy Institute is looking for an Editorial/Publications Assistant.
If you're potentially interested in fundraising, you should also be looking at web sites for non-profit jobs.
Also, "politics" is a pretty broad area of interest. Are you interested in a particular area? Defense policy, foreign policy, domestic issues, taxes, etc? Then you'll want to look for jobs in that particular area, like on the Foreign Policy Associations Job Board.
I get the impression that you're probably in a slightly worse position than conservatives, who have resources like the Leadership Institute Job Bank, IHS Job Bank, Heritage Foundation Resume Bank, Republican Study Committee Job List, Republican Communications Association, or the networking opportunities of something like the Federalist Society which holds frequent (even weekly) meetings in DC. I list those here partly for others who might search for and find this question. Perhaps someone can provide some left-leaning equivalents for you.
posted by Jahaza at 10:02 AM on October 16, 2008 [3 favorites]
You con't mention the Senate Jobs Bulletin (not sure if there's a house equivalent), which would be key.
You mention Mediabistro, but not JournalismJobs.com which you should also be looking at.
Democratic Gain is another place to look.
Lots of the jobs you're looking for won't be advertised beyond the organizations web sites. You don't mention if you're looking there or not, but you should be. For instance, the Progressive Policy Institute is looking for an Editorial/Publications Assistant.
If you're potentially interested in fundraising, you should also be looking at web sites for non-profit jobs.
Also, "politics" is a pretty broad area of interest. Are you interested in a particular area? Defense policy, foreign policy, domestic issues, taxes, etc? Then you'll want to look for jobs in that particular area, like on the Foreign Policy Associations Job Board.
I get the impression that you're probably in a slightly worse position than conservatives, who have resources like the Leadership Institute Job Bank, IHS Job Bank, Heritage Foundation Resume Bank, Republican Study Committee Job List, Republican Communications Association, or the networking opportunities of something like the Federalist Society which holds frequent (even weekly) meetings in DC. I list those here partly for others who might search for and find this question. Perhaps someone can provide some left-leaning equivalents for you.
posted by Jahaza at 10:02 AM on October 16, 2008 [3 favorites]
Best answer: D.C. is all networking, all the time. It's pretty much the best way to get a good job in your field, period. In my experience, it's a good idea to start building all kinds of relationships early on - with people on the Hill, journalists, think tankers, academics, non profits, etc. If you find a good group of people, it becomes a real network that will continue to serve you well as you all advance in your careers - but you have to keep working on it.
Do you socialize at all with the people from your old and new internships? That's a great way to start. You have no idea who you will meet and get to talk to just hanging out with people on a regular basis - going to dinner/after work drinks/etc. Someone you are with will know someone who knows someone - it's the way it goes. The other thing to do is to take advantage of all the seminars and events that happen every day in D.C. Start going to events in your field, and you'll soon start seeing the same people again and again - makes it easy to strike up conversations.
Non-profits, think tanks, and academic outfits are a great way to break into the scene. Unfortunately, the non-profits scale back hiring in bad economic times. But even doing temp work can serve your career goals, if you work with the temp agency to try to get assignments that help you move towards that goal. (But also be prepared to do work that doesn't, of course.)
I had an intern several years ago who really wanted to break into work on the Hill. She did odd jobs (an unpaid internship here, another one there, six months as a personal assistant, some time as a freelance journalist, writing cases for an old professor at GWU, etc.) for about two years. Meanwhile, she was building her network and adding a ton of diverse work experience. Now she is with a lobbying outfit, and loves it.
It takes perseverance and hard work. Luckily for you, there will be some major changes happening this fall and into next year, which opens up all kinds of possibilities. Start talking now to people about what you would like to happen (e.g. "I want to work for XYZ committee, or for Congressman A, or write on X topic at Y publication"), and then continue working that through the fall/winter.
Good luck!
posted by gemmy at 10:26 AM on October 16, 2008
Do you socialize at all with the people from your old and new internships? That's a great way to start. You have no idea who you will meet and get to talk to just hanging out with people on a regular basis - going to dinner/after work drinks/etc. Someone you are with will know someone who knows someone - it's the way it goes. The other thing to do is to take advantage of all the seminars and events that happen every day in D.C. Start going to events in your field, and you'll soon start seeing the same people again and again - makes it easy to strike up conversations.
Non-profits, think tanks, and academic outfits are a great way to break into the scene. Unfortunately, the non-profits scale back hiring in bad economic times. But even doing temp work can serve your career goals, if you work with the temp agency to try to get assignments that help you move towards that goal. (But also be prepared to do work that doesn't, of course.)
I had an intern several years ago who really wanted to break into work on the Hill. She did odd jobs (an unpaid internship here, another one there, six months as a personal assistant, some time as a freelance journalist, writing cases for an old professor at GWU, etc.) for about two years. Meanwhile, she was building her network and adding a ton of diverse work experience. Now she is with a lobbying outfit, and loves it.
It takes perseverance and hard work. Luckily for you, there will be some major changes happening this fall and into next year, which opens up all kinds of possibilities. Start talking now to people about what you would like to happen (e.g. "I want to work for XYZ committee, or for Congressman A, or write on X topic at Y publication"), and then continue working that through the fall/winter.
Good luck!
posted by gemmy at 10:26 AM on October 16, 2008
The way you get a job - any job - is through networking. Everyone looks at public job boards. You need to know about something when it is available.
To do this, start within your network. Ask the people in your professional network for jobs. If they don't have any, ask them who you can call that they know that might. Then, you call those people and introduce yourself. Say that so-and-so suggested that you given them a call. This is a tried-and-true method. It is also a lot of work during work hours.
posted by Pants! at 11:19 AM on October 16, 2008
To do this, start within your network. Ask the people in your professional network for jobs. If they don't have any, ask them who you can call that they know that might. Then, you call those people and introduce yourself. Say that so-and-so suggested that you given them a call. This is a tried-and-true method. It is also a lot of work during work hours.
posted by Pants! at 11:19 AM on October 16, 2008
Give it another 19 days. Lots of jobs are likely to become available, on the Hill and off, after the election. In the meantime, if you're looking for some (potentially paid) political work to do for the next three weeks and you don't mind leaving DC, shoot me a private message.
posted by fancypants at 5:06 PM on October 16, 2008
posted by fancypants at 5:06 PM on October 16, 2008
Lots of good advice here. Fancypants has it with the "wait" advice. You will quickly learn how cyclical politics is - October is the worst time to look for a job (except for campaigns with a last-minute infusion of cash looking to staff up for a few weeks, the kind of thing Fancypants is no doubt referring to), March-April-May is probably the best. November-December is the time to look for a job with newly-elected officials.
Some great job sites for Democratic/progressive political jobs
Democratic Gain
Jobs that are LEFT
New Organizing Institute Job List
To be honest, I think it would be worthwhile for you to at least try to narrow down your interests. For instance, there is some crossover between journalism and politics, but it's easier to go from journalism to politics than the other way around. Also, journalism is a field in crisis, whereas politics is is pretty solid.
Anyway, I've worked in politics for the last 10 years, in and out of DC. I might be able to point you in some specific directions, feel free to drop me a MefiteMail.
posted by lunasol at 7:44 PM on October 16, 2008
Some great job sites for Democratic/progressive political jobs
Democratic Gain
Jobs that are LEFT
New Organizing Institute Job List
To be honest, I think it would be worthwhile for you to at least try to narrow down your interests. For instance, there is some crossover between journalism and politics, but it's easier to go from journalism to politics than the other way around. Also, journalism is a field in crisis, whereas politics is is pretty solid.
Anyway, I've worked in politics for the last 10 years, in and out of DC. I might be able to point you in some specific directions, feel free to drop me a MefiteMail.
posted by lunasol at 7:44 PM on October 16, 2008
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Also, be willing to be less discriminating. Your first job may not be related to the field you thought you'd be in, especially given that you're looking in a down economy. You may end up working for someone whose views you don't entirely agree with. If you need to work to pay your bills, start applying to anything at your level that will give you full-time job experience and keep you in the city.
Finally, if you wait a couple of weeks, hiring will pick up. A lot of people are waiting to open up jobs until they find out which party will control after the election. If your party wins, the jobs will be there. And even if they don't win, people will know the outcome and feel a lot more stable, which makes them more likely to bring in new staff.
posted by decathecting at 7:49 AM on October 16, 2008