Hilltern 101

The last three months have been some of the most enjoyable of my entire life. Having the opportunity to live and work in our Nation’s Capital has been an experience that has led to much personal and professional growth.

During my time in D.C., I have had immense privilege of working in the office of Congressman Pat Tiberi, serving the citizens of the 12th District of Ohio. While I have approximately 3 years of experience working for the Ohio House of Representatives and there are many similarities between our state and federal legislative bodies, there was certainly a bit of a learning curve associated with working in a Congressional office. 

Below is a list of 6 pieces of advice from one Hilltern to another:

1. The importance of building your “network” is real, but start with your own office first. 

When you get to DC, you will likely feel overwhelmed by the pressure to start networking. The prospect of emailing someone to ask for coffee or a meeting can sound daunting, but people in DC understand what it’s like to be an intern and will almost always find time to meet. However, before you start cold-emailing people you meet at a Happy Hour or networking event, take the time to meet with some of your coworkers.

It can sometimes be best to start with your Chief of Staff, which may sound intimidating, but establishing a relationship with him or her early on can pay dividends down the road, as they are extremely well connected and can be helpful in setting up future informational interviews.

Meeting with a legislative staffer that covers a policy area that interests you is also a good move. During the meeting, let them know that you are interested in the policy area and offer to do research or write constituent correspondence for them. While every office is different, most staffers will appreciate the help and give you some work to do.

I eventually met with every member of my staff, which helped me strengthen the relationships I have within my office, I just wish I would have done it sooner.

2.   Committee hearings are actually really cool.

If you have some down time in your office, check out the House or Senate committee schedule to see if there are any hearings that pique your interest. Most of the time, we only pay attention to committee hearings if there is bombshell testimony expected (I’m looking at you, Mr. Comey). But even hearings on topics like tax policy reform or appropriations bills can be interesting and informative. Most offices are willing to let interns attend hearings they are interested in, just be prepared to take some detailed notes and report back with some of the key takeaways from the hearing.

3.   Make an effort to be social with your fellow interns outside of the office.

While participating in WAIP, it can be tempting to only socialize with other WAIPers. Fight this urge and plan a happy hour for you and the other interns in your office. Tortilla Coast is a great Hill spot (I was not paid for this endorsement).

4.   The best place to do your dry cleaning is in the Longworth basement. 

Trust me. Relatively inexpensive and nothing more convenient than being able to walk downstairs to drop off or pick up your clothes. There’s also locations in the other office buildings if you’re unlucky enough to work outside of Longworth (It’s named after an Ohioan, former Speaker of the House Nicholas Longworth, which makes it the best office building.)

5.   If you want something... just ask. 

This was definitely one that took some getting used to, but can pay dividends in the long run. As I mentioned before, if there’s a policy area that interests you, ask the Legislative Assistant if they need help with research. If there’s someone you want to be connected with, asking a more senior staffer (who you’ve developed a relationship with since you had a meeting with them) to help facilitate the introduction.

I had informational interviews with some folks who I never thought would even return my email, let alone spend 15-30 minutes with a kid from Powell with dreams of running for office someday. But, again, never lose sight of the fact that everyone remembers what it’s like to be young, so don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. The worst thing they can say is no, which leads me into my final point…

6.   Don’t look yourself in the mirror at the end of the semester and say “I wish…”

This piece of advice (while altered slightly) was given to me by one of those individuals who I never thought would return my email, Congressman Bob Latta. At the beginning of the summer, think about the things that you hope to do before you leave, and work tirelessly to accomplish everything. D.C. is a city with way more things to do than you will have time for, so focus on the things you want to accomplish and don’t get distracted by the happy hours and humidity.