Does anyone land a job in Government Relations/Public Affairs from a job posting site? If so, what job posting sites should I visit?
As I always tell people, the best way to get a job in DC is through informational meetings with people who have jobs you are interested in. And, you can find many folks on Linkedin who are alumni from your university who you might want to connect with. At GW’s Graduate School of Political Management, (GSPM), we encourage students to reach out to fellow students and alums by connecting with them on Linkedin.
A job search should include a balance of informational meetings and research. Some people do in fact land their jobs from finding a job posting. It is estimated that about 15-20% of jobs are posted, and the rest are spread through word of mouth. But, it is good to spend a little time, (especially early in your career), on looking at job postings.
Here are some links that should be helpful in looking for jobs in government relations/legislation/lobbying/public affairs/public relations and policy
http://www.opajobs.com/capitol-hill-jobs.html and then there is a daily jobs blog for jobs both on the Hill and with trade associations/corporate DC Offices -- http://www.opajobs.com/capitol-hill-jobs.html
Other good resources - http://www.opajobs.com/jobresources_guide.php
To explore jobs on Capitol Hill -
US Senate Placement Office -- https://www.senate.gov/visiting/common/generic/placement_office.htm
US House of Representatives - https://www.house.gov/employment
Additionally, there are some other government relations specific job postings sites that are available for a small fee such as Brad Traverse - https://www.bradtraverse.com/ and Tom Manatos - https://www.tommanatosjobs.com/. For jobs with trade associations, the American Society of Association Executives, (ASAE), has an excellent career job bank that is available for free - https://careerhq.asaecenter.org/jobs
There is a good networking group for millennials called Government Affairs Information Network (GAIN). Here is the link – http://www.gaindc.org/ They have a lot of great events for minimal cost. I know a lot of young people who have landed their jobs on and off the Hill by meeting people at their networking events.
For mid-career or higher-level government relations/public affairs folks, there is a great job posting site that is available for an annual fee called CEO Update - https://www.ceoupdate.com/
At the GSPM, students and alumni also have access to Handshake, a job posting and career resources platform. In addition to some great some postings, there are resources including information about upcoming events and career fairs. Additionally, students have access to the Brad Traverse job site which has great openings in government relations.
There are other job sites as well. The ones listed here are a great starting point for anyone interested in government relations/legislative/public affairs type jobs. And, as always, make sure to blend your search with informational meetings with people who already work in the field.
Margaret “Mag” Gottlieb is the Career Director at the Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University. Connect with Mag on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-gottlieb-1457753/ or via email at mag@gwu.edu.
