Pursuing a Job on Capitol Hill with Three Young Kids at Home: Can it Work?

[Anonymous]

A fellowship like this might be a good way in, but of course it's specific to healthcare:

http://www.healthpolicyfellows.org/

[Anonymous]

You should read up on how Rep. Tim Murphy treated his staff. Maybe I'll get batted down, but how he treated his staff really is the norm. I know many, MANY are nice, but they're also under a lot of stress and like your football coach or baseball manager, when they do something that somebody doesn't agree with, it's written about in the papers. Me and you, not so much. They don't write negative articles about us, or staff, but the elected officials, yes, big time.

They don't take that $hit on constituents, they take it out on staff and the passive-aggressive nature of a 10:00 pm email is a donkey punch from hell. You are afraid to go to bed without closing the loop, which is never closed.

I think I've got some repressed PTSD going on here...

[Anonymous]

Unless you can get a really good committee position, don't do it. With three kids, your salary is probably not even going to cover childcare, is it? Member offices have very different expectations on hours. It's not uncommon to expect 60+ hours a week. Many won't allow you to take sick or vacation time when Congress is in session so any of your kids' needs will need to be covered by your spouse. In many offices you have to be there until votes are done if it's an issue you work on, so lots of super late nights. Also, chances are, you'll be cramped in a room with a bunch of 20 something single people. The differences between your life and theirs will be huge, and after a while that dynamic gets really annoying.

[Anonymous]

According to my DH (a long-time Hill staffer), working in the Senate is better than working in the House.

When you're in the House, you're either in the Majority (where the leaders do all the work), or in the Minority (where you can get absolutely nothing done). In the Senate, if you're in the Minority, at least you're not completely useless. And if you're in the Majority, it might be a little bit fun.

[Anonymous]

OP - There is another option on the Hill if you happened to have the right academic and experience and the jobs dhange with the election cycle. Congress employs about 600-700 people on the Congressional Reseaaych Service. One is officially a Library ofbCongress employee. Individuals provide support to both House and Senate and to members of both parties with a focus on their area of expertise rather than politics. One of our children has worked there for several years and depending on one's policy/research focus the workload can vary. Being a Congressional employee, you are not facing the whims of the Executive branch. It is very much a relationship building job in developing contacts with staffers as some in Congress do not even realize the resource at their disposal. Also building a network with those in related government agencies, private sector and/or business to have the ability to get varying opinions or use a wide array of resources to provide accurate, unbiased information as requested in a written report, staff farce-to-face briefing, member briefing, questions to pose by a member in a hearing etc.

Unlike staffers, the hours most of the time are regular and one can telecommute one day a week in some sections which started about two years ago. You can build a reputation in your niche area as the CRS produces reports for Congress which do get out in the mainstream and to other agencies. This aspect of
Capitol Hill can be the opposite of a lot young people. Also, no need for extra hours socializing, though there can be special events such as conferences in your area of expertise or if doing areas events at embassies. All in all a great, Famiky-friendly place to work and can be a stepping stone to private sector options or even goverment service later in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should read up on how Rep. Tim Murphy treated his staff. Maybe I'll get batted down, but how he treated his staff really is the norm. I know many, MANY are nice, but they're also under a lot of stress and like your football coach or baseball manager, when they do something that somebody doesn't agree with, it's written about in the papers. Me and you, not so much. They don't write negative articles about us, or staff, but the elected officials, yes, big time.

They don't take that $hit on constituents, they take it out on staff and the passive-aggressive nature of a 10:00 pm email is a donkey punch from hell. You are afraid to go to bed without closing the loop, which is never closed.

I think I've got some repressed PTSD going on here...

NOT the norm.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you so much, everyone, for the great advice! I'm leaning toward committee work and will also check out the CRS and fellowships, as I do have niche expertise and come from a research background. I also really like the idea of finding a placement that's on the less political side of things--I'm left of center but really like the idea of working with others across the aisle, especially as I'm coming from a nonpartisan nonprofit research/advocacy background, and have worked a lot with some of the less political agencies.

My commute would be 45-60 minutes, depending on which side of the Capitol I'm on. (For reference, my current commute is 65 minutes.) And, while a few years on the Hill might mean not being able to contribute much if anything to my retirement account, I think the salary would cover at least our child care costs plus a little extra. My husband will likely be making at least enough to support us on his salary, although we would definitely need to cut back a lot on non-essentials. And, while my husband and I are currently pretty good about splitting up parenting responsibilities (e.g., school events, doctor's appointments, staying home when kids are sick), I would need to make sure that he would be comfortable becoming the default "primary" parent.

As for feeling like the oldest one in the office, and potentially reporting to someone who's much younger, that would be weird, for sure, but I think I could handle it. I'm looking at this opportunity as a learning experience and an investment in my longer-term professional development, so I'm pretty open to being pulled out of my comfort zone.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree. It wouldn't work for you to have 3 kids OP and if you have never even interned on the Hill, you would have a hard time getting a job unless someone specifically asks you to apply for some specific job they have in mind. Try the association world...much easier for a working mom. The Hill is not a 9-5 job. It's more 24/7 having to be tuned in


quote=Anonymous]The Hill is a young person's game (long hours, slave wages, booze, non-stop after hours commitments, drama, the list goes on). I worked as an LA in a member office for three years and then moved to a committee for two. My advice, if you are a professional with niche expertise you should target a committee. You may want to consider a peripheral office such as ethics (https://oce.house.gov) where there is less politicking.[/quote

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should read up on how Rep. Tim Murphy treated his staff. Maybe I'll get batted down, but how he treated his staff really is the norm. I know many, MANY are nice, but they're also under a lot of stress and like your football coach or baseball manager, when they do something that somebody doesn't agree with, it's written about in the papers. Me and you, not so much. They don't write negative articles about us, or staff, but the elected officials, yes, big time.

They don't take that $hit on constituents, they take it out on staff and the passive-aggressive nature of a 10:00 pm email is a donkey punch from hell. You are afraid to go to bed without closing the loop, which is never closed.

I think I've got some repressed PTSD going on here...

NOT the norm.

Sorry to say, but it can be. Many suddenly gain huge egos and start putting product in their hair, when they never once did back in rural Georgia. I'm looking at you LW. You also can have some bitchy spouses and even their kids to deal with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should read up on how Rep. Tim Murphy treated his staff. Maybe I'll get batted down, but how he treated his staff really is the norm. I know many, MANY are nice, but they're also under a lot of stress and like your football coach or baseball manager, when they do something that somebody doesn't agree with, it's written about in the papers. Me and you, not so much. They don't write negative articles about us, or staff, but the elected officials, yes, big time.

They don't take that $hit on constituents, they take it out on staff and the passive-aggressive nature of a 10:00 pm email is a donkey punch from hell. You are afraid to go to bed without closing the loop, which is never closed.

I think I've got some repressed PTSD going on here...

NOT the norm.

I spent just a year working in Congress. It was nearly a decade ago. I just stopped having nightmares. My chief of staff and the member himself were both big yellers. It was f*cking awful.

I was in my mid-30s at the time and felt very old to be there. But I was with a new member - I knew some people my age and even a little older who seemed happy. Senate seemed better than House.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years (when our 3 kids were born).

I am glad he's moved on to greener pastures because the schedule on the Hill meant a lot of late nights, particularly at the end of a session.

Having said that, he enjoyed his time on the Hill and felt like it was an exciting place to be.

My DH was in his 30's when he worked there, and he felt somewhat "old" because there are so many 20-somethings there. Having said that, there are a fair # of moms and I know a lot of them use the daycare available there.

The salary would have to be top-notch for me to want to work on Capitol Hill with 3 young kids, and even then I don't think I'd want to do it.

Pretty much all of this, but only 2 kids and he still works there, going on 12 years. Been there mid-20s-now. He is "old" working there.

I personally dislike it because we can't travel when they are in session, combine that with school schedules and my work and there's pretty 4 much weeks all year when we could possibly go on vacation. Which means, we have missed weddings, family events, random things we would like to do, etc. for the last 12 years.

The hours are longer, not very predictable, when anything happens you get pulled in at the spur of the moment, which leaves me holding the bag for childcare, house things, etc. Also because the hours are long, I end up with all weekday child related things falling on me, from school pick up to running to activities to filling out school forms, etc. I work full time as well (an make more money), so it really sucks to be the one in charge of everything all the time. And I get the kids at their worst, tired after long days at school and needing to get homework done, baths taken, dinner on the table, etc. We've frequently had to cancel plans because something comes up that just has to be dealt with right then. I have to cover all child sick days, school closures, etc.

The salary is ok, but is not commensurate for the hours worked, instability of possibly losing your job any time your guy is up for election, random (and fairly frequent) nights where you stay until midnight, 2am and aren't paid anything extra or given a day off (not that he could use it since we can't even use all the vacation he gets)...

He has loved it, so I guess there's that. He didn't have this job when we got married so it was a jolting change and I thought it would be temporary...obviously not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years (when our 3 kids were born).

I am glad he's moved on to greener pastures because the schedule on the Hill meant a lot of late nights, particularly at the end of a session.

Having said that, he enjoyed his time on the Hill and felt like it was an exciting place to be.

My DH was in his 30's when he worked there, and he felt somewhat "old" because there are so many 20-somethings there. Having said that, there are a fair # of moms and I know a lot of them use the daycare available there.

The salary would have to be top-notch for me to want to work on Capitol Hill with 3 young kids, and even then I don't think I'd want to do it.

Pretty much all of this, but only 2 kids and he still works there, going on 12 years. Been there mid-20s-now. He is "old" working there.

I personally dislike it because we can't travel when they are in session, combine that with school schedules and my work and there's pretty 4 much weeks all year when we could possibly go on vacation. Which means, we have missed weddings, family events, random things we would like to do, etc. for the last 12 years.

The hours are longer, not very predictable, when anything happens you get pulled in at the spur of the moment, which leaves me holding the bag for childcare, house things, etc. Also because the hours are long, I end up with all weekday child related things falling on me, from school pick up to running to activities to filling out school forms, etc. I work full time as well (an make more money), so it really sucks to be the one in charge of everything all the time. And I get the kids at their worst, tired after long days at school and needing to get homework done, baths taken, dinner on the table, etc. We've frequently had to cancel plans because something comes up that just has to be dealt with right then. I have to cover all child sick days, school closures, etc.

The salary is ok, but is not commensurate for the hours worked, instability of possibly losing your job any time your guy is up for election, random (and fairly frequent) nights where you stay until midnight, 2am and aren't paid anything extra or given a day off (not that he could use it since we can't even use all the vacation he gets)...

He has loved it, so I guess there's that. He didn't have this job when we got married so it was a jolting change and I thought it would be temporary...obviously not.

I am the PP whose DH worked on the Hill for 10 years. I wish I could have lunch with the poster above as I'm sure we'd have so many stories to share. (My DH also promised it would only be temporary, but ended up staying 10 years.)

OP -- I do not recommend that you pursue the Hill with 3 kids. After leaving the Hill, my DH has felt so relieved because, although a lot of the people on the Hill act in a professional manner, many of them are very partisan and emotional about their issues. My DH said his current workplace feels a lot more professional than the Hill.

Also, my DH has had to miss a lot of important events over the years because, when Congress is in session, you literally cannot leave the building if your issue in on the floor. I cannot tell you how many times my DH had to miss a parent-teacher conference that we had scheduled (and I just attended myself.) Also, as your kids get older, you find that their school spring break does not coincide with the Hill's Easter break. So we could never go anywhere for spring break (or even just have a staycation together).

In a nutshell, knowing what I know (and having 3 kids), I would NOT do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years (when our 3 kids were born).

I am glad he's moved on to greener pastures because the schedule on the Hill meant a lot of late nights, particularly at the end of a session.

Having said that, he enjoyed his time on the Hill and felt like it was an exciting place to be.

My DH was in his 30's when he worked there, and he felt somewhat "old" because there are so many 20-somethings there. Having said that, there are a fair # of moms and I know a lot of them use the daycare available there.

The salary would have to be top-notch for me to want to work on Capitol Hill with 3 young kids, and even then I don't think I'd want to do it.

Pretty much all of this, but only 2 kids and he still works there, going on 12 years. Been there mid-20s-now. He is "old" working there.

I personally dislike it because we can't travel when they are in session, combine that with school schedules and my work and there's pretty 4 much weeks all year when we could possibly go on vacation. Which means, we have missed weddings, family events, random things we would like to do, etc. for the last 12 years.

The hours are longer, not very predictable, when anything happens you get pulled in at the spur of the moment, which leaves me holding the bag for childcare, house things, etc. Also because the hours are long, I end up with all weekday child related things falling on me, from school pick up to running to activities to filling out school forms, etc. I work full time as well (an make more money), so it really sucks to be the one in charge of everything all the time. And I get the kids at their worst, tired after long days at school and needing to get homework done, baths taken, dinner on the table, etc. We've frequently had to cancel plans because something comes up that just has to be dealt with right then. I have to cover all child sick days, school closures, etc.

The salary is ok, but is not commensurate for the hours worked, instability of possibly losing your job any time your guy is up for election, random (and fairly frequent) nights where you stay until midnight, 2am and aren't paid anything extra or given a day off (not that he could use it since we can't even use all the vacation he gets)...

He has loved it, so I guess there's that. He didn't have this job when we got married so it was a jolting change and I thought it would be temporary...obviously not.

PP, are you me? Pretty much all of this, except DH has only been there 10 years. I'm the default parent and the breadwinner. I would love for him to leave the Hill, but he finds the work really interesting. When he's able to get home at a normal time, he is still plugged in to work for 3-4 hours every evening. For us, he took a pay cut to go there in the hopes it would help his future private sector career. Only he lost interest in going back to the private sector. I keep hoping his boss will retire and force him to make a life change.