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Career Corner Question of the WeekIn each Friday Update, Mag Gottlieb, Director of Student Services, answers a question submitted by a GSPM student or alumnus. If you would like to have your question included in a future Friday Update, please submit it via e-mail. Friday, October 12, 2007 I recently relocated to Washington, DC to enroll in the Legislative Affairs program at GSPM. My dream is to become a lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company. Before coming to DC, I worked as a marketing representative for a major pharmaceutical company. Do I have to work on Capitol Hill before becoming a lobbyist? Answer That is a good question. Other students and alumni have also enquired about the value of working on Capitol Hill. At the top level of government relations and legislative jobs, most corporate and trade association clients insist that candidates for top lobbying and Washington Representative jobs have Capitol Hill or regulatory experience with a federal agency. I don't know how many years of professional experience you have or how long it's been since you finished your undergraduate degree. However, for those of you who haven't been out of school for too long and who want to become a lobbyist, I would say that working on Capitol Hill would be a great idea both from a personal and professional standpoint. (For those who have been out of school for a long time or who have kids or other serious financial responsibilities, I realize that Hill salaries are lower than they might be able/desire to live on.) As for working on the Hill, from a personal standpoint, I still have many of the friends whom I met on the Hill (let's just say it's been awhile). And professionally, I think the best place to learn about the "real world" of legislative matters is on the Hill. Having said that, I also know several people who have taken many different paths to becoming a lobbyist. Regarding your particular interest in becoming a pharmaceutical lobbyist, I know a number of people who worked at the US Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) before becoming a pharmaceutical or healthcare lobbyist. In your case, since you have experience in the field, future employers will generally like that you know something about the industry for which you're lobbying. If you don't work on the Hill or in a federal/state agency, then you might consider working for one of the many pharmaceutical trade/ professional organizations to learn the ropes. All in all, most employers regard Capitol Hill or state legislative experience very highly. I want to reiterate that there are exceptions to the rules, but it's really valuable to gain experience on the Hill, and you'll get a real insider's view of the legislative process. If I were you, I would go to the Gelman Library to look at the Washington Representative's Book. You can look at the index and find the names of many pharmaceutical lobbyists. Copy down their contact information and schedule informational interviews with as many as you can. You can research their backgrounds and then ask them how they got started. Good luck and you might want to schedule some time to come and talk to me to let me know how you're faring. I hope you enjoy your time here at GSPM.
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