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The information on this page is an excerpt from the FabJob Guide to Get a Job on Capitol Hill. It is only a small sample of the valuable information contained in the 114 page complete guide.

Questions You May Be Asked

Every House and Senate office conducts interviews differently, however most have two or three favorite questions that they always ask job candidates. Here are the questions you can expect, based on my own experiences as well as interviews with Capitol Hill chiefs of staff.

Why do you want to work for this Congressperson?

You should have a substantive, thoughtful and realistic answer to this question. "I'm desperate for a job as a Congressional Aide and am pursuing every opportunity I can find" is not appropriate. 

Craft an answer that combines an interest in the issues the Congressperson cares about, the district he or she represents and your own personal goals. 

Sample Answer: "Congresswoman XYZ's stance on environmental issues, and particularly her work on deforestation is very intriguing to me, as I spent a summer in Costa Rica learning about new forestry techniques. In addition, having grown up in the Congresswoman's district, I am anxious to give something back to that community. As someone just starting out in my public policy career, this office seems to be an ideal place to learn about Congress and the issues I care most about."

According to one House AA (Chief of Staff), "The question I always set up in interviews is to ask the applicant what they think the job is and to give me their idea of what the job description would be if they had to write it, or to describe 'a day in the life' on the job. This gives me some sense if the person is reasonable and practical but also if they are creative or innovative."

It also allows me to judge whether they are clueless about the reality of Hill jobs, or at the other extreme, think that they are the congressman's peer and suffer from visions of grandeur. It makes the applicant think an answer through and does not have a pre-scripted response that can be gleaned from the Political Almanac."

This excellent question should be answered honestly and thoughtfully. You can review Section 1.2 of this guide to familiarize yourself with the job you are applying for. If you are an entry-level applicant, you should reflect a realistic attitude toward the work as well as an interest in learning as much as you can. 

Sample Answer (Entry Level): "To me, the staff assistant position sounds like an outstanding opportunity to learn more about Capitol Hill and the district while honing my administrative and writing skills. 

I imagine that most of my day would be spent answering phones, opening mail, responding to constituent requests for tours, running errands, and providing general assistance for the staff as needed. I would hope to eventually have the opportunity to draft constituent correspondence, attend an occasional hearing or briefing on a topic of interest, or even handle a lower-level issue or two. 

My philosophy is that I can learn something new from anything, whether it's how to talk to an angry constituent, set up White House tours or write a constituent letter."

Sample Answer (Senior Level): "Serving as the Environmental Legislative Assistant, I imagine that my day would be comprised of meetings with constituents and lobbyists, time spent drafting statements, responses to constituent letters and memos for the Congressman, and monitoring the floor, with the occasional hearing or briefing thrown in. 

While I definitely think I could learn a tremendous amount from this experience, I believe I could add value to the Congressional office as well. I am eager to put my expertise on environmental issues, my ability to juggle multiple tasks and my willingness to put in the time and energy to get the job done to work for you."

The above is only a small sample of the valuable information in the FabJob Guide to Get a Job on Capitol Hill. You can have all this and more for a special price. A six month subscription to a publication listing Capitol Hill jobs costs $69. This guide not only tells you where to find job postings for free, it also tells you how to find out about unadvertised jobs and how to get the job you want. Visit www.FabJob.com/congress.asp for more information.

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