Thoughts on Interviews for Congressional Staff Positions

I will never forget the excitement I felt when I had my first interview with former U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson (AR) for a position on his Washington, DC staff. I will also never forget the nervousness I felt before I interviewed with former U.S. Representative Bill Thomas (CA) or how much I wanted my interviews for various Legislative Director roles in the Senate to be successful.

I can tell you that my win loss record, if you will, for Hill interviews would definitely result in me being dismissed from being a head coach for an SEC football team. However, I learned a great deal from those experiences and can assure you that all the “losses” were worth the “wins.”

As you pursue a job on Capitol Hill, I encourage you to do so with confidence. No matter how much you want a specific role, you can be confident if you have adequately prepared. It also helps to remember the fundamental truth that an office just may not want what you have to offer – for many different reasons. Moreover, you need to remember that you do not want to be in an environment that does not fully appreciate you and your capabilities or is otherwise not the right fit. If you recognize this, you will not blame yourself or lose confidence if you are not offered a position.

To be prepared for a Hill interview, you must understand the role you are interviewing for as well as the skills the office is seeking. I have found it helps to break out these attributes and write out a few sentences that explain specifically how you meet them. It is more than likely that there will be a few that you do not meet, and, in those cases, it helps to formulate a response as to what you would do to quickly develop or enhance those skills. For example, if you are a Legislative Assistant interviewing for a Legislative Director (LD) and you have never managed people, it is wise to articulate how you would approach the management aspect of the job. You can do so by talking with an LD friend to receive guidance, listing examples of things you have observed from your own LD, and/or you can think about the principles you would apply to the situation.

Likewise, you must be able to answer basic questions that your interviewer will pose. These questions include; Tell me about yourself; Why do you want to work here; What do you know about the district; What do you know about the Member; How are you qualified for the role; What is your vision for the position; What is your greatest strength; What is your biggest weakness; What are you salary expectations; Tell me about a career success; Tell me about a time you failed; and what is your personal political philosophy. Again, I have actually written responses to these questions as part of my preparation.

You will be able to answer some of these questions if you have done your homework on the Member and the district or state. I recommend looking at several biographies and carefully reading a profile on district or state. I also recommend reading their press releases and researching the legislation they have sponsored. Additionally, you should Google the Member to see what kind of media coverage they have received. If you have time, it can be informative and fun to watch some of their campaign ads or debates on YouTube.

Some general advice on answering questions is to be authentic, humble, and diplomatic. If there is a way to give credit to others while answering questions about yourself, it is helpful to do so. For example, when explaining how you are qualified for a LA role, you may want to give credit to the LA, LD, and/or Chief of Staff of your prior office for their mentorship or other efforts to help you develop as a staffer. In terms of salary, I recommend stating what you currently make and the range of salaries for the position while explaining that you are very interested in the opportunity and want to be fairly compensated. In terms of your greatest weakness, I caution you to think carefully about how to frame your response. One way to do that is to explain a past or current weakness while stating what you have done or are doing to improve.

As for questions to ask, I recommend asking questions that will illustrate that you have done your homework and will help you fully understand the role’s responsibilities. I also recommend asking about the Member’s goals and priorities as well as what a successful hire looks like from the interviewer’s perspective. It is also good to ask about the hiring timeline and whether or not they would like any additional information.

In terms of what to bring to an interview, I recommend bringing at least one copy of your resume and cover letter along with a writing sample(s) and list of references. If you have a list of accomplishments, it is worth bringing as well. In my view, you should put them in a folder or a small, plastic three-ring binder.

Finally, I would make sure to begin the interview by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to discuss the position. I would also send a thank you email that same day; if you can, it is a nice touch to also hand-deliver a thank you card – the gift shops sell some reasonably priced ones with Washington, DC motifs – within a few days. I wish you well as you interview. Remember, if you are prepared, you will be confident, and confidence is a critical component of success.