The Revolving Door

One of the first things I learned about the professionals working in this city is that each one of them has an elaborate story about how they got to where they are today. These stories include different levels of educational attainment, many jumps between the public and private sectors, and finally a fulfilling position that they are now occupying. Dr. Kolson has correctly categorized this constant turnover as the “Revolving Door” of D.C. employment. Obviously, this is a generalization and I won’t deny that there are a sizable number of individuals who have stayed with one organization throughout their careers and been more than happy. It’s just that so far I haven’t met any of them. 

Initially what surprised me about these professionals is that they seem more than satisfied with the path they have taken throughout their careers. But after a while I came to realize that their path is what makes them so successful in their careers. Bouncing from job to job and in and out of different sectors allowed them to make professional connections at all levels, and these connections are the keys to to working effectively in this city. More importantly these connections are how people in both sectors make hiring decisions. Ultimately, no matter what position or title you made hold in D.C. to get something done it comes down to who you know. 

You may be inclined to ask why this matter to students in the WAIP program? Well it matters because some of us, or maybe even many of us, will return to D.C. to work one day and the connections we have made here will be beyond helpful during the job hunting process. Every time we hand out one of our business cards we are creating a relationship that may help us enter the “revolving door” of employment in this city. So to all of you who are entering the program in the future, or to those of you coming to Washington for an individual internship, I encourage you to make as many connections as humanly possible. It will work greatly to your benefit one day. 

-Dave C.