Feds: how to get role as advisor to agency head?

[Anonymous]

I’ve been at my agency for a while but it’s so hush-hush within our organization how people get these roles.

Yes, some agency heads come in with their own folks with whom they have prior relationships.

But often people within our organization from various different offices get them. The position is not announced, formally or informally, and there is no job posting. And it seems somewhat random who gets the roles.

If you have gotten this type of role, can you share how?

[Anonymous]

In my previous agency (no longer a Fed), whenever this happened it was usually someone who worked directly for a lower level principal like an Assistant Secretary or Under Secretary, and then got noticed and brought in to the Secretary’s circle. A lot of it was timing and luck. But most of the people were politicals brought in from the outside.

[Anonymous]

I volunteered for a high stress thankless detail in our leg affairs office. I worked with all of the senior career and political people while in that role and earned a great reputation. From there I was offered a senior advisor role.

[Anonymous]

Make yourself visible to them and make yourself helpful for their type of leadership style. But if you don’t work on projects relevant to them and/or briefings they don’t know you exist. Ask for work for the senior leader, do a great job, AND help the senior leader (then they’ll realize your value and want you along). I’m a senior leader and I love folks that give me a recommendation, are articulate and summarize things, can answer questions and are go getters that can anticipate talking points and materials I need. GS level doesn’t matter but they need to be in my orbit for me to know about them as I don’t have time to go looking for advisors.