Well, my job search has been going pretty well. I've made contact with my two main contacts, which is always good. Of course, for one job I am trying to apply to, I need three references, and I am having the hardest time getting a reply from two of them! I want to submit my information to this job, and it is so frustrating to have to wait for my contacts to come back. One of them I know I'll be able to get a hold of just fine. But the other, all I have is her facebook profile, where she does not list ANYTHING. No e-mail, no phone number no nothing. My only hope has been to message her and post on her wall. Yet no reply. God, all I have left now is to poke her...
I suppose I learned my lesson though. In the future, I am going to make sure that for anybody I might want to list as a reference that I get their contact information! Anyway, I still have a month and a half left before graduation, and I've submitted a few applications. I suppose if I'm still at the same point in two weeks I'll officially enter panic mode. But right now, I feel just fine.
Job Search Update
New City, New Job.... Don't go homeless!
Now that Spring Break 2008 is over, I am getting ready to post a new message. So I started thinking about which enthralling topic I was going to dazzle readers with this week and I started thinking about other aspects of getting a job in government and specifically Washington, D.C. So I decided that since I just spent the past month looking for a place to live after I graduate, I would touch on the topic of relocating to a new city for a job.
I just found a great place to live with three friends. I really lucked out because three of my friends were also looking for a job and place to live in the city. It is scary trying to find someplace that makes sense (close to a metro or your job)and that feels safe. So I'm just going to tell you what I did and why it worked to me.
I started looking at housing and apartment Web sites right away. But I soon found that it is impossible to find a four bedroom apartment, so that put me at a disadvantage right away. We moved on to looking at rowhouses in the city and houses outside of the District.
We looked at Craigslist.org every single day. It was wonderful. But you have to look every single day, early in the morning if you are going to have any success. If you get the postings as soon as they are put up, you have a better chance of finding somewhere that isn't already rented.
The main thing to be cautious about is location, location, location. Before even looking for a place I suggest going online and looking at crime reports to find out which neighborhoods are safe. And before you agree to anything make sure you go in the daytime and walk around the neighborhood to make sure you feel safe there. There were a few places I looked at last week that I felt unsafe in the neighborhood. You have to be willing to spend a few extra dollars to be comfortable in your surroundings.
I am very happy to say that after a month of searching, I now have a place that I will be moving into at the end of April in an amazing location. I also have a new understanding of how Washington, D.C. is set up geographically- thanks to the 200+ google maps I looked at. Not bad at all.
The Unpredictability of Politics
Hey everybody! So I took a little Spring Break from updating this blog, so I'm going to do a few extra posts this week to make up for it. Anyway, last time I updated, I was pretty sure that Barack Obama would be the next Democratic nominee. Three Clinton primary victories later, and its up in the air again! But it does provide a lesson in the unpredictable nature of political work. You never know what is going to happen, and there is rarely stability.
In politics, things can change in a blink of an eye (ask Eliot Spitzer) and those changes don't just affect individual politicians, but their entire staff. Especially in Congress, with elections every two years for House members and six years for Senate members, you might find yourself out of a job! One funny story I heard was when I was an intern for a Republican (I was an office intern, so it was largely non-partisan work). One of the staff members there used to work for former Virginia Senator George Allen. She said she left that office because she wanted a stable job and she was worried that she'd lose her job when he ran for President. Well, she was right about losing her job. But unlike what she predicted, she would've lost it because he lost his re-election bid for Senate in a stunning upset!
My point is, if you're getting into politics, you have to be prepared to live a relatively transient lifestyle. You may be moving from job to job, depending on the conditions. If you want stability, I suggest you work in a non-partisan job. There are plenty of career bureaucrats who don't have to worry about which way the political wind is blowing.
Perfect Image
In light of the recent sex scandal involving New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer, I am reminded just how careful people working in politics need to be. Today, Spitzer resigned of his position as governor.
Earlier in the week, Spitzer apologized to the State of New York and his family. "I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself, must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family," he said.
At that point he had not announced his resignation from office, but it was certain it was going to happen. Now, I don't think Spitzer paying large sums of money for a few hours with a call-girl really makes him any less qualified to be a governor. He still has the same experience and the same qualifications. So what's the big deal, anyway? Well, it's all about character. What does it say for the people of New York if they have someone representing them who keeps company with prostitutes? Hmm, probably not a good thing.
Civil Service Officers
So I talked in my last post about becoming a Foreign Service Officer at the Department of State. But if you don't want to go overseas to work, you can still work as a Civil Service Officer. And the best part? You work right here in Washington, D.C.
According to the Web site of the US Department of State,"To meet the challenges of the 21st century — and beyond — we need intelligent, creative, strategic-thinking, adventurous individuals who can bring their academic knowledge, professional and personal experiences, cultural awareness and appreciation, and dedication to improving the world in which we live."
So who qualifies?
Pretty much anyone, they need a lot of different people with a multitude of different skills. Check it out, I bet there is something that is just right for you.
I say, if you have a few minutes and are at all interested, check it out. I know I will- looking for a job is hard work, every little tip helps!
This is some more info from the State Department's Web site about the civil service officer's evaluation process:
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your experience,
education, and training relevant to the duties of this position. The evaluation
will be based on information you provide in your on-line resume, your answers to
the vacancy specific questions for the announcement, and a review of the
documents that are requested as part of the announcement.
Interview for the Job
The names and applications of the highest-ranking candidates are referred to the supervisor or selecting official. Selection procedures are subject to Federal Civil Service laws, which ensure that all applicants receive fair and equal treatment in the hiring process.Undergo a Background Investigation
All Civil Service positions in the U.S. Department of State require at least a secret security clearance. The clearance process considers such factors as registration for the Selective Service; failure to repay a U.S. government-guaranteed student loan; past problems with credit or bankruptcy; failure to meet tax obligations;
unsatisfactory employment records; violations of the law, drug or alcohol abuse;
or less-than-honorable discharge from the armed forces. Investigations, which
usually take two to four months, include interviews with current and previous
neighbors, supervisors and coworkers. Depending on the nature of the job, you
may begin work on a provisional basis, pending completion of the clearance
process.
Taking a year off
OK, so I bet a lot of people who are interested in a political career or government career may also plan on going to law school in the future. I say this because, well, I'm following that path! Up until my senior year, I was always just planning on going straight to law school after college. But I went to this program my school offered for upcoming seniors about what we are doing after college, and it was highly recommended that future law students take the year off. In fact, one of my friends applied to a law school where it actually works to your detriment if you haven't taken a year off and had real employment experience.
So, anybody who is thinking about going to law school should definitely consider taking a year off. For me, I am planning to take this year off to pursue jobs in politics because obviously that is my passion. Plus, it is a good chance for you to really make some political experience and make some connections that can come in handy later in your life when you decide to pursue your political career.
Also, for me, this semester especially I have been suffering from a great deal of malaise. Even as I write this, I have a test that I should be studying for. But I'm just soooo sick and tired of studying. I feel like if I went right to law school after this without taking some time off, my studies would definitely suffer. I'm feeling a little burnt out on academics and I'm looking forward to having some time off so that when I do go to law school I am refreshed and ready.
