The end of 2016 has delivered great news for Republican jobseekers living in our nation’s capital and those packing their cars to descend on D.C. President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration won’t just need to fill top cabinet posts, but lots, and lots of staff positions. While you can apply for those jobs online, it also helps to expand your job search in other ways.
Sure, holiday parties are shutting down offices all over the capital. But this is not the time to sit back and wait if you want to be employed, or in a new job in 2017. So get on the internets (thanks Al Gore), down that latte, and read on: this is what you need to get your festive season job search properly tuned.
Start Reaching Out – Now
If you’re particularly interested in working for the Trump Administration, reach out to people you know who have connections to the president or vice president-elect, or try staff you know who work for Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Jeff Sessions, and other principals close with the new administration.
There’s a lot of work to be done and a lot of spots to fill quickly. Do some research and see which leaders and organizations are close with the Trump administration. Reach out to your friends (real or Facebook) who work there and ask for advice. Or ask them to meet you for a peppermint cappuccino and then ask for their advice. Either way, they’ll know why you’re emailing them for the first time since senior year.
Track LinkedIn Updates
In addition to puppies in adorable costumes, this time of year you’re also likely to see people moving on from their current jobs to work in the new administration. This is happening now and will go on for the next few months.
So if you’re not interested in working under Trump, talk with your friends on the inside – or apply for their old job, and let them know if you do. Either way, know more positions are likely to open up in the coming months.
Don’t Spray And Pray With Your Resume
All this opportunity is great, but keep in mind these few rules to lead you to the kind of job you’ll love:
- What kind of work do you love doing or want to try? Writing? Events? Digital?
- Where do you want to work? Congress? A think tank? A political consulting firm?
- Research and make a list of the top 20 places you’d love to work, keep an eye on their job pages, and email them about openings.
- Even if it doesn’t work out at these places, it’s a great way to get your name out there. The people you reach may keep you in mind for future opportunities with their organization and friends’ organizations.
Maybe Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is your favorite (I mean, come on). But would you like working in Congress? Maybe he has an opening in policy, but you’re more passionate about communications? Sasse may be your favorite, but that probably wouldn’t be a job you’d love. Working in a presidential administration may also be exciting, but if you’re not doing what you love in the administration, you might not be happy. And that’s difficult to sustain given the average workload in D.C.
Wait It Out
Were you not a fan of Trump? If you want to do work to check his power on the right, consider working for a member of Congress who is outspoken against Trump, for a news outlet that will objectively criticize his administration, or for an organization that promotes policy you care about. These jobs can be a good perch to plot your next move during the first year of Trump’s Washington.
Shoshana Weissmann is Digital Director for Opportunity Lives.