Five Questions About Serving on Federal Boards, Commissions and Advisory Committees Part-time federal advisory boards, commissions and committees are important parts of the federal government that generally receive little attention. Joining one of these groups is a great way for experienced individuals to engage in public service even if they do not hold a full-time government position. Read More
Why People With State and Local Experience Should Serve As Presidential Appointees Having a background on state and local issues provides a good perspective on how the government touches lives and communities every day. Read More
Nine Tips for Following Government Ethics Rules Strict government ethics rules apply to all federal employees and can be tough to navigate. The following nine tips will help you avoid any ethics problems. Read More
Are You Ready to Serve in the Biden Administration? From my experience in various positions during President Barack Obama’s administration, I gained insights into issues candidates should consider when deciding whether to pursue a political appointment. The following advice will help you decide if a presidential appointment is right for you. Read More
Five tips for getting through the Senate confirmation process The opportunity to serve in a presidentially-appointed position in the federal government is a unique privilege and honor. For some positions, this means nominees must traverse the difficult Senate confirmation process before they can take office. The confirmation process can be one of the biggest challenges a nominee will face in their lifetime. Here’s some advice for navigating that process. Read More
I Was Offered a Political Appointment—How Much Will I Be Paid? Being offered a political appointment can be an opportunity to serve the public and the president, do meaningful work and make a difference. But after the excitement fades, it is time to get into the details, including one of the most important considerations for many people—the pay. Read More
Demystifying the presidential appointee vetting process The vetting process for senior presidential appointees can be opaque even for long-serving government officials. While it varies based on the administration and the position an individual is seeking, there are three key components for almost every political appointee. Read More
Seeking a political appointment: Seven tips from a former special assistant to the president for presidential personnel You want to join an administration as a political appointee, but you don’t know where to start. You are not alone. Here are some tips that will give you a leg up. Read More
Advice for prospective political appointees: Get an early start filling out security and financial disclosure forms Every aspirant for a federal political appointment faces a chicken and egg problem. Should you begin working on your security and financial disclosure forms before you are offered a position or should you wait until you are offered a job? Does it seem presumptuous to fill out the forms too early? What if you never get an offer? Are you wasting your time? Read More