If you’re a Hill staffer or a member of Congress looking to leave the US Capitol but aren’t sure where to go or what your next career step should be, moving to K Street may be your logical destination.
However, working for a Washington-based lobby shop or law firm isn’t for everyone and, frankly, isn’t even an option for most staffers. The lure of higher salaries, better job stability, and a lower-pressure environment may seem tempting, but along with those rewards, it has its own risks.
In Washington, there are two types of lobbyists—those with information and those with knowledge. Information revolves around your Rolodex, contacts, and friends. If a client needs to reach a member or staffer quickly, will your outreach be returned? Is your contact list made up of people who are decision-makers and influencers, or just observers?
A lobbyist’s life can move from zero to 60 in a manner of seconds, and your ability to get through to the right people quickly is a currency in itself. But those contacts can turn stale very quickly when Congress or gavels change hands, or members retire or are defeated for re-election. Replenishing those contacts is hard work and at the member level can become more difficult or very expensive without a client or firm PAC behind you.
Collaborate With Others
In my 14 years in Congress and 16 as a lobbyist, I have rarely seen campaign contributions buy legislative results. However, it is a critical tool in establishing access to members’ time so you can be heard. Moreover, members (in particular) and staff who are more “hard edged” in their demeanor or ideologically rigid have found it especially difficult to be hired or sustained in Washington post Congress. This town is fickle, and while your member or ideology may be in vogue for a time, eventually you will face the challenge to stay relevant when the government switches sides.
The most successful Hill alums are those who, though they may have a partisan persona, have experience working with the other side of the aisle and have built trust with their political opponents. I have witnessed too many members being blackballed by corporate boards or K Street for not being “compatible” with their culture and ability to get along with diverse opinions or groups.
Members and staffers thinking about K Street should broaden their friendships, get to know the other side, and establish relationships you might otherwise shun. For these jobs, your voting record isn’t important, but your ability to play in the same sandbox and win mutual respect is critical.
If that isn’t compatible with your style or belief system, life offers you a plethora of post congressional options—but lobbying, except for a strong ideological group, isn’t one of them.
Substantive Experience Wins
The second and more important category of lobbyists are those who aren’t reliant on their contacts, but on their knowledge. Many, and perhaps most, members aren’t policy experts, while many staff members excel here. It’s important to remember that knowledge can range from stove-piped expertise in one area (be it small business, health care, defense, etc.), to congressional procedures, to understanding Hill operations in general.
Serving on a key committee is helpful, but without legislative accomplishments, it is probably not going to get you noticed. By comparison, serving as a subcommittee chair, with extensive exposure to key interest groups and with a rudimentary knowledge of your subject, can be readily transferable.
Substantive policy experience is particularly relevant for staffers who have drafted legislation and interacted with affected constituencies. Combining your skill as a legislative draftsman, as well as knowing the key players, constituencies, and policy implications of laws, is highly marketable to affected groups. Those groups will continue to need guidance and counsel as regulations are written, the law is interpreted, and changes are sought.
Deferential Is Good
The transition from policy maker to policy advocate requires a different skill set than those you’ve used in the past. The ability to be deferential, to put yourself in the policy makers’ heads, and to work harmoniously with coalitions toward a stated purpose can be at odds with one’s role as a decision-maker or lawmaker.
Transitioning from being a member of Congress, with 18 or more staff members, to a lobby shop where you keep your own calendar, make your own calls, type your own letters, or, at best, work with little staff can be frustrating and feel inefficient. Hearing “no” from people you once gave orders to or worked alongside of can also be frustrating, but in a transaction-oriented town, this is commonplace.
Those who used to fawn over you and give you campaign contributions will often not even return calls. On the other hand, the ability to help a client out of a difficult situation can be very satisfying and give you a level of satisfaction akin to passing legislation or winning an election.
Make a Difference
Many of us went into politics to make a difference. As a lawmaker, campaign chairman, and committee chair, I like to think I made a difference in people’s lives.
As a lobbyist, I feel that same level of satisfaction when I am able to navigate the intricacies of lawmaking to benefit organizations that provide innovation, produce jobs, and improve society. It’s not for everyone but, done effectively, can and still does make a difference.
Lobbying, which is enshrined in the Constitution (“the right to petition the government”) can be a very satisfying and lucrative profession, and the expertise acquired with Hill experience is invaluable.
This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax, and Bloomberg Government, or its owners.
Author Information
Tom Davis is a Washington, DC, attorney who focuses his practice on handling a variety of congressional and regulatory affairs. He served 14 years in the US House of Representatives, representing Virginia’s 11th Congressional District.
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