US Legislature (read time: 14 min)

Written By Second Day

So you want to work in the US Legislature?

Though elected officials are the most visible members of our government, there are thousands of staffers working to support them behind the scenes. If you believe in the power of government as a tool for social justice, then you may be interested in working directly for a member of Congress. Taking one of these roles will allow you to make a difference in the lives of the individuals your office represents and others across the country by crafting and promoting just policies, elevating worthy causes, and responding to constituent needs and inquiries. You will witness the inner workings of government, work closely with lawmakers, and learn how to use the government’s power to improve people’s lives.

Despite the potential for impact, figuring out how to work for an elected official can be an overwhelming and intimidating prospect, especially at the national level. However, it is essential that both congresspersons and the personnel behind the scenes reflect the diversity of this country. This guide is designed to ensure everyone has a shot at getting their foot in the door, democratizing access to the jobs that make democracy.

If this career path sounds exciting to you, this guide will take you through everything you need to know about working on Capitol Hill. To inform our work, Second Day has spoken to experts in the field and gathered the best information out there for upcoming and recent graduates. First, the guide will take you through the  different entry-level positions to look out for in this field. Then, we’ll provide tips on actually getting those jobs in the US Legislature. We’ll finish with our next three steps: actionable items you can take to make progress towards finding your first job. Let’s get started!

This guide was written by Rachel Angle (SDIF '20) in partnership with the Second Day team.

Many thanks to experts in the field who supported this work:

  • Julia Friedmann, Former Press Assistant in the Office of Senator Tom Udall

  • Mitchel Hochberg, Former House and Senate Legislative Assistant

  • Ryan Uyehara, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

What types of jobs exist in the US Legislature?

The diagram above shows the general structure of a Capital Hill office. Some positions, like an IT Director, Administrative Director, Junior Scheduler, or Digital Director exist in some offices, and not all offices have each of the positions above. In general, the main entry level positions in a Hill office are as follows:

  1. Staff Assistant

  2. Press Assistant

  3. Scheduler

It is far rarer to have an entry level Press Assistant or Scheduler Position, but it is not unheard of. Thus, the most common entry level position on the Hill is the Staff Assistant.


STAFF ASSISTANT

As a Staff Assistant, you will be responsible for many of the under-the-radar tasks that make a Hill office run, such as answering the phones, managing visitors in the front office, and responding to constituent requests like tours around the Capitol and special flags for ceremonies. More substantive tasks include developing your management skills by overseeing the intern program and drafting responses to constituent mail. The latter task, in particular, gives you the chance to prove your writing abilities and develop your policy chops. If a role opens up and you have shown the ability to draft concise and persuasive constituent responses, you may be promoted quickly to a Legislative Correspondent (LC) role within six to eighteen months.


PRESS ASSISTANT

Capitol Hill offices, especially those in the Senate, will have a Communications Director, Press Secretary, and Press Assistant to manage a member’s external presence and relationship with the press. In some House offices, the Press Assistant role is combined with the Legislative Correspondent role. In this case, you can see both sides of the operation (Legislative/Communications). The Press Assistant acts as an aid to the Press Secretary. Though they are not an official spokesperson of the member, responsibilities include more introductory tasks like compiling press clips (all of the articles that day that mention the member) and putting together fact sheets for briefings. When you have more experience/show your competence, you will be able to begin working on first drafts of press releases and bill introduction materials. Your responsibilities for more administrative tasks depend on whether or not you have a communications intern in the office.


SCHEDULER

It is important to remember that members have both DC staff and district staff. Some of the staff listed in the diagram above have district counterparts. One of these is the Scheduler role. Since a member’s time is incredibly valuable and in constant demand, their Scheduler will manage their time in DC and in the district. In some Senate offices and larger House offices, the member may have a designated district scheduler.  A candidate for a scheduler position must be highly organized, detail driven, and motivated.


ADDITIONAL LEGISLATIVE ROLES

Legislative Correspondent and Legislative Assistant: Though not technically an entry level position, the Legislative Correspondent position may be combined with the Staff Assistant position depending on resources. It may also be the next step for a Staff Assistant on the career ladder. The LC’s primary job is to draft responses to the constant stream of mail/emails from constituents. They will also take meetings with interest groups. The LCs work closely with the Legislative Assistants (LAs), and have ample opportunities to build policy experience.


LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT

After working for a couple of years, many folks have the opportunity for promotion to become a Legislative Assistant. Legislative Assistants manage an “issue portfolio” for their boss and are responsible for advancing the member’s agenda by tracking developments, performing oversight, and introducing and furthering policy ideas. Depending on a member’s interests, staff, and committee assignments, “issue portfolios” include subjects like “health,” “immigration,” “science,” “arts,” and “disaster response.” As a Legislative Assistant, you have the opportunity to identify, elevate, and act on issues consistent with your boss’s goals and directly pitch and support the member. You function as a generalist, consulting a wide array of experts and resources to learn policy areas, figure out what your boss should do, and execute.

Considerations

WORKING ON THE SENATE SIDE VERSUS THE HOUSE SIDE

On the Senate side, offices have larger staff, which creates more opportunities for entry level roles beyond the staff assistant like the press assistant or even a role like a social media manager. However, the House side has almost five times as many members, and therefore many more open staff assistant positions. In addition, since elections happen every two years, members coming and going creates lots of turnover in the House. This results in a much younger staff on the House side and more promotion opportunities. But getting a Hill job is tough no matter how you cut it, so you should apply to positions in both chambers.


WORKING ON A COMMITTEE

A committee can encompass working in a specific field, such as appropriations, ways and means, agriculture, energy and commerce, armed services, etc. Instead of working directly for a congressperson, you could pursue a job on a committee. Most committees have both Staff Assistants and Interns. These roles could be a good fit if you are more interested in working for a specific cause or issue rather than a particular congressperson. These positions are more difficult to get, and the internships are particularly competitive. Therefore, you might aim to start off in an office and then transition to a committee role for your next job, once you’ve built up more connections and established a strong track record.

Working for your elected official by the numbers (pay and hours)

Low salaries are infamous on the Hill, and they are a key reason offices experience such high turnover and hire so many young staffers. However, if you are passionate about working in government, the experience and exposure these roles provide is unbeatable. Like many social impact jobs, employment standards on the Hill are changing. Congress members have a set (low) budget for paying staff, but they allocate office funds as they see fit, and therefore pay different amounts for the same job. Organizations like Pay Our Interns are leading the charge for more equitable hiring practices (starting with the basics of paying interns!), and their site profiles which offices pay and which do not.

Average base pay for a staff assistant is $35,000, with some offices offering higher salaries. Press assistants typically start making around $42,000. You can expect good benefits working on the Hill (health insurance, student loan repayment, contribution to a 401k, dental is included).

How to get a job in the US Legislature

Finding a job posting

You may find a job posting for a congressional office job through paid job boards like Tom Manatos and Brad Traverse, or traditional job boards like Idealist and Handshake. Daybook also posts a number of congressional jobs. In addition, the House has a listserv with job listings and the Senate has a website. Nonetheless, the most reliable path to finding a congressional job is through networking, especially considering many jobs may not even be posted on these websites. If you are searching for a job on Capitol Hill, a good rule of thumb is to spend 80% of your time trying to talk to people and build relationships and less than 20% of your time actually applying for roles. You are far more likely to advance past the interview screen if you have a referral from someone in that office or someone can flag your application to someone in that office.

Interview process/tips

Interview process: The following steps are standard when applying for a job on Capitol Hill

  • Resume, cover letter, writing samples (some positions may require a timed writing task, where you’ll be asked to write a constituent response letter, policy brief etc.)

  • Notified for phone-screen interview, standard phone questions

  • In-person interview

  • Reference check, then meet either the Chief of Staff and the member if they are available


INTERVIEW TIPS

When interviewing for a position on the Hill, you can expect both standard interview questions, such as what do you think your weaknesses/strengths are or why are you interested in this job?) and more specific questions about the member you want to work for and their district. It’s incredibly important to know the member’s past work and the particularities of the state/district where they work. When possible, bring in your personal connection to that place. Also be prepared for a question similar to “what are the most pressing issues for [the member’s] district?”

  • Staff Assistant: Emphasize prior roles in customer service given your external role in the office. Expect questions about how you would manage the interns.

  • Press Assistant: Questions to expect include how you would write a press release about something you know nothing about or what you would think about when you were planning a conference.Tip from a current press assistant: for the former ask the LA to give you background after preliminary research, and for the latter, consider the Immediate details: who, what, where.

  • Committee Staff Assistant: You may be asked how you would prepare for your committee’s hearing. The experts Second Day spoke with recommend preparing by looking at typical legislation that comes before a committee, learning about who comes to testify, and also breaking down the who, what, and where.

Getting your foot in the door

Having internship experience lowers the barrier to entry. Though it is not technically required, a past congressional internship significantly improves your chances of being hired on the Hill. Congressional internships provide an understanding of how an office works, as well as connections you can use to identify and secure a future job. Internships in the House of Representatives will give you more opportunities to get to know staff and perform more substantive tasks compared to the Senate. Therefore, we recommend first looking for opportunities with your local representative in the House.

Internships on the Hill are far more competitive during the summer compared to the fall or spring, so, if you live nearby, take advantage of the “off season.” In addition, working during the semester will allow you to do 10 hours a week rather than the 25-30 hours per week typical for a summer internship. The “Congressional Intern” line on your resume will be the same either way. All Hill interns are paid, but the cost of living can still be quite high in DC. Look out for a school-sponsored “summer in DC” program at your university to help cover costs of housing. The same goes for “semester in DC” programs.


Networking is key. Since the turnover on the Hill is frequent, it is likely a position may open up and then be filled without it ever being posted on a job board. If you have interned, stay in touch with your colleagues and make sure to get their personal email addresses so that you can reach them even if they change jobs. If you haven’t interned, you can use your school’s network to find someone who works on the Hill in your district and ask for an informational interview. However you get your Hill contact, make sure to check in with them every few months to keep tabs on what jobs are opening and when.

Exit opportunities

GOING INTO THE NONPROFIT/LOBBYING WORLD

Working in the US Legislature gives you a unique and valuable perspective for the many other nongovernmental groups that seek to influence legislation. It is common for staffers to end up working in the lobbying world (despite moratoriums on making a direct transition to some lobbying firms for ethical reasons). Many nonprofits also need the experience of former staffers to lobby for their mission.

STAYING IN THE US LEGISLATURE

Once you have a job on the Hill, you have ample opportunities to work your way up the pipeline, especially when switching from office to office. As a result, many staffers may choose to stay on the Hill in order to take advantage of these quick growth opportunities. Especially once you start to get to the Legislative Assistant position, your work starts to influence your Member’s policy portfolio and be incredibly rewarding.

Other exit opportunities include working in the federal government, at think tanks, or on campaigns. Having experience on the Hill will give you a leg up in each of these fields.

Additional resources

There are programs outside of universities that sponsor internships in the US Legislature. These country-wide and university-specific programs help fund students during their time working in the US Legislature:

Next three steps

  1. If you haven't already, we recommend you try to intern on Capitol Hill or in your congress member's district office. If you can, try and do it during the semester rather than over the summer for fewer hours but similar resume and learning benefits.

  2. Use the network you have developed during your internship/other college experience to make connections with your own delegation’s offices. Offices love to hire constituents above all else. If none of your local congress members are in your party and you want to work for someone you align with politically, look to neighboring states and their representatives.

  3. Ask for informational interviews with staff members in these offices and let them know you are looking so they may think of you if there is a staff opening.

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