[Career review] “Congressional staffer” by Alex Mann, Richard Batty

Want to get a job in Congress? Here's what it takes to get one — and why it matters. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(01:38) Summary(02:03) Pros(02:21) Cons(02:41) Key facts on fit(03:00) Next steps(03:17) Recommended(03:27) Review status(03:32) What this profile is based on(04:13) What is this career path?(05:57) How high-impact is it to work as a congressional staffer?(06:25) The government can have a big impact on pressing problems(10:05) Staffers' work shapes the actions of congress(11:05) Legislative staff do work that lets them shape legislation(13:58) Staffers' expertise increases their influence(16:41) Staffers' relationships with legislators give them a lot of influence(18:47) Congress can have a big impact on how government tackles pressing problems(21:42) It's possible to improve government action(22:40) Overall, how big an impact can staffers have?(24:25) Other advantages of working as a congressional staffer(24:30) You'll build good career capital(25:12) Knowledge and connections in government and policy(25:42) You'll build transferable skills(26:13) You'll get excellent career options(27:49) Downsides of congressional staffing(27:54) Your success depends a lot on political conditions(28:31) Lower salaries than the private sector(29:39) The need to compromise and work on policies you disagree with(30:13) Entry-level jobs may have little responsibility or influence(30:59) Job Satisfaction(32:20) Is congressional staffing right for you?(32:25) What is it like day-to-day?(33:54) What traits do you need to do well in this career?(36:40) How does it compare to other related options?(36:45) Positions in the US executive branch(37:56) Academia and think tank research(38:13) How do you get in?(38:17) What background do you need?(39:12) How to build expertise(39:29) Get a policy relevant graduate degree(41:48) Work in other areas of policy(42:02) How to get jobs(42:10) Keep a low profile(42:25) Meet people(43:38) Do an internship or fellowship(44:49) Further advice(45:10) How do you excel and have impact once you're in?(45:14) Where should you aim to work in the long run?(45:24) Committees relevant to the most pressing problems(47:21) Congressional leadership(47:44) Individual members of Congress(48:52) How should you build career capital on the job?(49:30) Find a mentor(50:07) Build a network of experts(50:40) Learn more(50:43) Top recommendations(51:01) Further recommendations(51:46) Questions for further investigation(52:26) Get free, one-on-one career advice The original text contained 32 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: May 17th, 2018 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/congressional-staffer --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.