When it’s time to leave Congress: Part 1, planning your next steps
This is Part 1 in a two-part series on leaving Congress, written in partnership with Melissa Dargan. Stay tuned next month for Part 2, on tips for planning your finances, insurance, and more to land on your feet.
Working on Capitol Hill is a privilege, a roller coaster, and — for many — just one (very important!) stop on the career highway. Everyone has different reasons for moving on, whether just to get a taste of life on the outside or in a different area of government, for financial or family reasons, or maybe even because you have a burning idea that you need to bring to life.
Wherever you land next, your experience working in Congress will give you a unique perspective and a deeper understanding of events for the rest of your life. Moving on is an opportunity to reevaluate your priorities, reset, and (h/t Lebron) take your hard-won Hill experience and talent out into the world. And the world needs you! While there will always be a need for talented, motivated people to work inside government, it is also important for people who understand how government really works to bring that expertise to the communities, organizations, and companies on whose behalf Congress works.
IMPORTANT:
If your decision to leave comes because you feel your rights are being violated or you have concerns about potential unethical behavior, see this quick start guide on Workplace Rights.
You have the right to fair and equitable treatment in your workplace, and you have a responsibility to report wrongdoing.
ALSO IMPORTANT:
If you’re looking at leaving because of the stress on your mental health, that’s okay! While ‘trauma’ and ‘burnout’ might feel like buzzwords these days, they’re very real things. Check out the CapitolStrong Resources page for a starter list of resources for staff on and off the Hill.
Approaching post-Hill life deliberately
We know that trying to plan for the rest of your life on top of the demands of your Congress job can be overwhelming: it can be hard to step back from the day-to-day specifics of your job and look at where your overall skills and interests lie. But there are a few things to keep in mind:
First, none of these career paths is necessarily exclusive of any other. Many of the people quoted here have worked in multiple sectors in their post-Hill careers, or moved back and forth between the Hill and the non-Hill worlds. As Melissa Dargan recounts, she’s had not one but four separate phases to her post-Hill life, and each builds on the other:
“After nearly 5 years on Capitol Hill, I realized there were opportunities (outside lobbying and think tanks) for someone who likes to think outside the box and is passionate about public service. Since leaving Congress, I (1) co-launched the Congressional App Challenge (CAC) — a nationwide non-profit initiative that engages Members of Congress in technology, (2) attended business school, (3) founded TourTrackr — a company that digitizes DC tour requests for Members of Congress, and (4) recently started “CONGRE$$: Personal Finance for Congressional Staff” — a YouTube Series for Congressional Staff to empower them to make smart financial decisions and ultimately even the financial playing field to attract and retain diverse candidates from all financial backgrounds.”
Next, as you’ll read below, one of the most common pieces of advice we heard as we reached out to Congressional alumni is to approach your next move deliberately. Take some time to think about what makes you tick: which people have you enjoyed working with most, which problems show up most often in your shower thoughts, and what are the accomplishments you’ve felt most proud of since starting in Congress?
We’ll walk through a few of the most common career paths for former Congressional staffers, with advice from people who’ve been there, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. If there’s a career path you think we’ve missed, we’d love to hear from you: info@popvox.org.
When it’s time to move on, you have options!
OPTION 1: Stay on the Hill, Change offices
Exploring other management styles and policy priorities
The thing about an institution composed of “541 small businesses” is that culture and workplace environments can vary widely among different Hill offices. If you’re not happy in your current office, you can use the Hill’s high turnover rate to your advantage and consider applying to a new team.
Diane Hill, now a manager at the Partnership for Public Service and a long-time staffer in both the House and Senate notes that keeping your network strong even if you’re thinking of leaving the Hill can be crucial down the line:
“I left my first office, as an Associate Appropriations staffer, because the Congresswoman I worked for retired. In making the move, I focused on what I wanted to do and who I wanted to work for. I pursued a position working for the Representative from my home state, doing issues that were not in my wheelhouse, because his next election was very competitive, and it mattered deeply to me that he remained in Congress. After 3 years, I moved to the Senate and a return to appropriations work. Before you move to another office, do your homework, investigate the culture of the office and make sure it’s a good fit. If your member is retiring, ask if they will recommend you to another member. Keep in touch with former office staffers. The LD from my first job recruited me to my third job.”
Keep an eye on open positions with the non-partisan House Vacancy Announcement and Placement Service, which circulates a weekly list of open positions and the Senate Placement Office Employment Bulletin, which is updated in real time.
Hill resume banks are a great option when you have let your current office know you are looking for other opportunities (but just be careful if you have not yet shared that news, in case your hiring manager stumbles across your resume!). Applicants looking to work for Democratic Members in the House and Senate can also post their resumes in the Democrats’ Resume Bank. Senate Democrats also run a Diversity Initiative Resume bank. Applicants looking to work for Republican Members in the House and Senate can post in the GOP Resume Bank. The House Office of Diversity and Inclusion is another great resource with a mission to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce in the House.
Lean on your networks to figure out if an office is a good fit. As our staff panel at the TSD New Member Orientation reminded us, people on the Hill love to give advice — it’s often just a matter of reaching out to ask. Congressional staff associations are full of people who are happy to chat informally about their offices or offices they know of. See the full list of staff orgs for the 117th and a shorter list maintained by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion of organizations supporting minority and LGBTQ staffers. Many staff associations run formal or informal peer mentorship programs or might be able to connect you with someone in an office you’re considering for the inside scoop.
If you are passionate about Congress and making it work better, there are avenues to pursue that passion without working on the Hill directly. Organizations involved in the Fix Congress Cohort, the Capitol Strong group, or the Tech, Science, and Data Cohort all build resources and advocate for Congressional staff from outside Congress. As in many cases with this slow-moving institution, change is created through a combination of inside and outside factors.
OPTION 2: Other Government
Staying in public service, but taking a break from Congress
There’s a huge government out there beyond the First Branch, and plenty of great options to work in various branches and levels. As Troy Cribb, Director of Public Policy at the Partnership for Public Service notes, with your experience working in the Legislative Branch, you have something unique to offer on the Executive side — and the Executive might be a chance to gain experience that would be valuable for coming back to the Hill one day:
“I had a great first boss in the Senate who was a wonderful mentor, went on to a fascinating stretch at the Department of Commerce, and then eventually came back to the Hill with an appreciation of the challenges that agencies face in carrying out their responsibilities. And then I went back to the executive branch with an even better understanding of both the legislative and executive branches. Because of my experience, I’m a big proponent of people having experience in both Congress and federal agencies. We need more people in government who know not only how to legislate, but how to implement.”
The Partnership for Public Service’s GoGovernment.org offers a wonderful overview of career paths in the federal government, including federal agencies, and navigating the complex federal hiring process. Did usajobs.gov scare the daylights out of you? Start here.
Interested in working for the White House? PresidentialTransition.org, also from PPS, has a guide to exploring career paths in the Executive Branch. If you’re not from the same side of the aisle as the current administration, don’t count yourself out: with over 4,000 political appointments to be made (and turnover within them!), there is room in the Executive Branch for anyone with good ideas and a willingness to find common ground. If you’re ready to jump into a White House application, submit your interest here.
If you’re thinking about state or local government, Jane Campbell, former State Rep, County Commissioner, Mayor, and Chief of Staff, has this advice:
“The work we do on the Hill prepares us for so much — Hill staff understand that the media needs answers in minutes, not days; that elected officials need briefings with backup for the potential challenge; that teamwork makes all the difference in whether an idea becomes a reality; and that hard work under the radar can create opportunity. The most important part of transition off the Hill is keeping your contacts strong because whether you go into policy work, advocacy, working with a state or local official or running for office yourself relationships are everything.”
Option 3: Nonprofits and Think Tanks
Focusing more deeply on a particular cause/policy area
If you’re a policy specialist, or interested in advocacy in a particular area, your Hill skills might translate well to think tanks or nonprofits, giving you more bandwidth to focus on the issues. This can translate to a more academic-focused think tank setting, or a more advocacy-focused nonprofit role.
On the academic side, as Aaron Klein, former committee staffer and current Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, describes the transition:
“Think tanks enable you to focus deeply on the policy matters that mean the most to you. You are able to dig in with great depth, without the flurry of activity constantly pulling at you while on the Hill.
Working at a think tank enables you to relearn your voice, not that of your Member. It is more challenging but highly rewarding to relearn your own voice and to develop that voice as a thought leader. Former hill staff have a tremendous advantage in think tank world, understanding more of the why Congress acts the way it does.”
While think tanks have a huge impact on policy, some may find they prefer cause-work that is more explicitly focused on driving change. As Meredith McGehee, Executive Director of Issue One, notes, you might find an outlet in this type of work that matches what brought you to the Hill in the first place:
“After working on the Hill for six years, I decided that I felt more comfortable working on the issues I cared about than working for an individual member of Congress. My heart was in “cause” work. I also knew I wanted to be an advocate and a lobbyist based on what I had seen while working in Congress. With well-thought through strategy and skilled advocacy (grassroots, coalitions, etc.) members of Congress could be influenced — at times — to support legislation I advocated for. Cause work isn’t for everyone. But knowing that is where I felt at home helped me lay a path as a public interest advocate.”
For non-House jobs, Tom Manatos (paid subscription) also maintains solid up-to-date lists, as well as video resources with tips on job hunting in the DC area.
Idealist can also be a good place to start for people looking for the nonprofit sector, as well as policy opportunities. Idealist jobs tend to lean slightly to the left; Conservative Jobs also posts jobs in the more right-leaning policy world.
Option 4: Back to School
Building up particular skills to switch or advance your career
Take it from some of us who’ve learned the hard way: grad school is worth the time and expense if you have a strong sense of why you are going.
As Dennis Magnasco, former Regional Director, now finishing a joint MPP-MBA noted:
“I left my role as a Congressional staffer to pursue a joint graduate degree in public policy and business (MPP/MBA). I saw many solvable issues going unsolved at the nexus of business and government, and I wanted the flexibility to work on those issues from either side. Grad school is very expensive and the opportunity cost of being out of the workforce for two or more years is high, so do thorough research, network, and ask questions. Make sure the program you are pursuing will help you meet your goals.”
It’s worth asking yourself the hard questions early: Is a business degree going to let you start your own company, or work in a market you love? Is a law degree going to open up new doors for legal practice and legislating, and is an MPA or MPP going to be a requirement for the kind of government work you see yourself doing? Do the think tank jobs you gravitate towards require an advanced degree?
There are some helpful starting point guides out there to figure out if the answer to any of the above is ‘yes’: for example, see here from HBR or here from Princeton Review. But as Abigail Burman, former Legislative Aide, now Legal Fellow at the Yale Program for the Study of Reproductive Justice notes, the best way to evaluate whether this is the right field for you is to talk to people, or think back over the huge network of people you’ve talked to in your current job:
“I’ve found that the experience analyzing legislation and policy, understanding of the legislative process, and deep knowledge of specific issues that you gain on the Hill are tremendous assets in legal practice. But my number one piece of career advice is to find the people you are excited to talk to, who love what they do, and who are great to work with, and work backwards from there.”
Also keep in mind: going to grad school doesn’t necessarily have to mean taking time out of your career. Plenty of great programs offer online and/or night and weekend classes, meaning that you can pursue a grad degree while keeping your career moving.
Option 5: Start your own business
Going after the idea you can’t get out of your head
You’ve written the white papers for your boss on how expanding American entrepreneurship is key to the Future of Work, and you may even have saved your precious few off-hours to pursue a side hustle. What about starting your own business?
It’s becoming more common for staffers with a good idea to give it a go on their own — sometimes even working to solve problems they experienced on the Hill. POPVOX co-founder, Marci Harris, was a Hill staffer when the idea for the company was born:
“Entrepreneurship is a little like the movie “Alien,” she says, “when an idea takes over and it’s all you are talking about or thinking about, that’s a pretty good indication that you should start taking steps to make it happen.”
TourTrackr founder Melissa Dargan left to create a tool to help office manage their tour requests and booking. She tells the story of how an elevator ride with Bill Gates inspired her to quit her job":
You’ll hear this over and over, but your Hill contacts and approach might also help you get started. Talk to your local Chamber of Commerce to see if they know of any local or state-wide entrepreneurship mentoring programs, and reach out to your local SBA office to see if they can connect you with counseling and resources. You might be surprised at the resources in your local community!
Option 6: Going “Downtown” (AKA: Lobbying)
Explaining how Congress works for a living
Lobbying gets a bad rap, but government affairs is critical to the legislative process.
Victoria Ireton, former Deputy Campaign Manager, currently Senior Account Manager at Tenax Strategies, has this to say about transferring skills:
“I would say that being able to speak on someone else’s behalf was the best training for my job. I now speak on behalf of my clients before government entities, which is not that different from speaking on behalf of the Congressman to his constituents. The ability to diffuse a situation and make your argument in a non-confrontational way helps me every day.”
For folks considering careers in lobbying, this is a good overview of career paths and things to keep in mind. When you’re ready to start looking, Idealist, Tom Manatos, and other job boards above are good places to start, as is LobbyingJobs.com.
Keep in mind: the title you’re often going to look for is often ‘government affairs,’ not ‘lobbyist’ — and keep your expectations in check about the pay jump in leaving the Hill. As Beverly Bell, a former Chief of Staff who worked in the Government and Regulatory Affairs Office at PricewaterhouseCoopers for over ten years, notes:
“Having committee or leadership experience is a tremendous help in landing a government affairs position. And, contrary to popular opinion, you are unlikely to double your salary just by going into the private sector.”
Option 7: Heading over to the Campaign Side
Connecting the how of policy to the why of public support
Although there’s a lot of pride in working for the ‘official’ side, above the fray of campaigns, there is also an undeniable pull into the nuts and bolts of electoral politics. Going from the Hill into a campaign, you’re well-positioned to use your skills in working with constituents and interest groups, as well as your deep knowledge of policy and the policy process, to help give life to a candidate’s strategy and platform. As former Hill staffer and presidential campaign fellow Victor Yang describes:
“I decided to join a campaign because of my desire to understand people at a more intimate level. Working on the Hill for four years was one of the best decisions of my life, but I felt that I didn’t fully understand why certain policy issues mattered to constituents. This “disconnect” between Washington DC and everyday voters is real and I felt that working on a campaign was the best way for me to learn how policy directly impacts the electorate.”
As many campaign staffers will tell you, it’s an addictive balance between high stress, intense adrenaline, and long, hard hours and cold pizza. Be aware that on the campaign you may juggle many hats, from door knocking and putting up yard signs, to recruiting volunteers and planning rallies, to helping shape messaging and policies.
Also, it is important to remember that campaigns have an end date: election day. If the candidate you work for loses, you will need to find another job, and factoring that uncertainty into your financial planning is vital. If the candidate you work for wins, then you can hopefully land a new role back on the "official" side with the elected official. However, as you know from your time on the Hill, there are a lot of factors that go into building a staff, and there are almost always more people working on the campaign than there are career positions on the Official side, and no guarantees of official-side employment.
If there’s a race you’re interested in, it’s worth reaching out directly: even if they don’t have a full-time role available right away, there may be part-time or volunteer opportunities for you to grow your skills in advance of a full-time position (caveat: if you’re planning to volunteer while remaining employed on the Hill, check with your manager first to make sure there are no ethical conflicts). If you’re not sure which race you’d like to join, check with one of the political parties: Democratic National Committee (DNC), Republican National Committee (RNC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), etc., to see if there are campaigns hiring.
Option 8: Throw YOUR hat into the ring!
Being the change you want to see in government
You’ve been working for years to support your boss’s political career, but in the back of your mind, you have ideas for what it would be like to run your own office, and represent your own community. We think former staffers make some of the best representatives, and should run for office more often—and we’re not alone. As Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Rodney Davis [R, IL], said:
“As a district staffer, I dealt with a lot of financial and personnel paperwork and operational red tape. Now being in a position, as the Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, to make that process work better for other staffers, is incredibly rewarding. When you’re a staffer, you know exactly how this place works and how it doesn’t and there’s something to be said about running for office so you can help fix what you know is broken.”
There are tons of campaign accelerators, leadership PACs, nonprofits, and more resources for folks considering running. We’ve rounded up a small selection of them here, although please note that inclusion is obviously not endorsement, and we encourage you (again) to trawl your networks for advice and connections if this is something you’re exploring.
Nonpartisan Organizations:
Congressional Black Caucus PAC
BOLD PAC (Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
ASPIRE PAC (Asian American and Pacific Islander Members of Congress)
314 PAC (scientists running for office)
Victory Fund (LGBTQ)
Right-leaning Organizations:
Maverick PAC (young professionals)
Log Cabin Republicans (LGBTQ)
VIEW PAC (women leaders)
Winning for Women (women leaders)
Elevate PAC (women leaders)
SBA List (pro-life)
Left-leaning Organizations:
EMILY’s List (pro-choice women leaders)
JusticeDems (progressives)
BlueLab (progressives)
RunForSomething (progressives)
BlueDog PAC (moderates)
Other resources
Partnership for Public Service: Go Government
Congressional Management Foundation’s collaboration with the Becoming Superhuman lab, with a short burnout assessment and other tips
CapitolStrong’s list of resources for staff in the wake of Jan 6th
About the authors:
Anne worked as a caseworker and Director of Constituent Services for a Member in the Northeast; she currently serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at the POPVOX Foundation.
Melissa worked as a legislative aide for a Member from California, and then as a staffer for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. After leaving the Hill, she co-founded the Congressional App Challenge, TourTrackr, and the personal finance Youtube channel Congres$$.
