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Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024
The Eagle

Election yields Hill jobs

After each Election Day, the president, cabinet members and Congressmen are not the only people with new jobs. Hundreds of people move in and out of Washington, allowing some students to pursue job opportunities in the new political climate.

Matt Salomon, an economist with the Joint Economic Committee, said there will be plenty of turnover in Bush's administration.

"There are more opportunities to work for Republican leaders in the Senate and House," Salomon said.

However, there would have been more entry-level openings if the presidential administration had switched from one political party to another, like after the 2000 election, according to Salomon.

Still, the outcome of the election hardly changes the prospects students and recent graduates have for internships, according to Christopher Brown, a journalism student who is also a communications consultant and has worked on several political campaigns. The only shift that could impact students trying to get internships is within congressional offices that changed representatives, Brown said. That instance did not happen much this year, so it is not a major influence when it comes to looking for a job.

"There will be more jobs for graduates this year with new companies coming to the area." Brown said. "And there are always political jobs, if you know where to go."

Political jobs will also be available because up to half of the federal workforce will reach retirement age in the next few years, according Mike Orenstein, a spokesman for the government's Office of Personnel Management. This would leave open many types of jobs in the federal government that could lead to work in the private sector. The predicted retirements would bring an opportunity "to hire young eager individuals who could bring new life and new blood to work," Orenstein said.

Students looking for a job or internship in the federal government must do a lot more than just drop off a r?sum?, however, said Brown. Students first need to decide what job they want and who can help them get it.

"People write it off as a clich?, but it's very important" to know where to go and what one wants before applying, Brown said.

Students have a better chance of getting an internship, Brown said, if they keep ties with Capitol Hill by being a regular at events there. However, socializing is not enough. Once the business cards are collected, students should follow up with calls or e-mails.

Brown suggested that students contact a home state congressman about an internship, as well as check out The Hill or Roll Call newspapers, which have job announcements.

"There will be a lot of Xeroxes and Starbucks cappuccinos before they give you something valuable to do [as an intern]," Brown said. "But word of mouth and doing a job very well is what gets you a position."

Still, some said that a good job is not the only factor govnernment employers consider.

"Agencies like students to share the opinion of the administration," said Josh Horowitz, a junior in the School of International Service, adding that he thinks the outcome of last week's election would make it more difficult for Democrats to get positions in government agencies.

The federal government's job Web site, career.usajobs.opm.gov, has listings that include animal caretakers, interior designers and psychologists. Federal job descriptions and listings can be found on the Office of Personnel Management's Web site, www.opm.gov.

The weekly Senate Employment Bulletin posts job openings in Senate offices. It can be viewed through on the Senate's Web site, www.senate.gov. The House of Representatives also has information about jobs on its Web site, www.house.gov.


Section 202 hosts Connor Sturniolo and Gabrielle McNamee are joined by fellow Eagle staff member and phenomenal sports photographer, Josh Markowitz. Follow along as they discuss the United Football League and the benefits it provides for the world of professional football.


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