Whether or not you were #withher or all about #MAGA (we were with @SecretSquirrel), there is one thing we can say with certainty about this year’s election – a lot of people in Washington, D.C. are looking for a new job.
Every change in Administration means new career opportunities and new employees. A change in the political party in the White House means even more fluctuation. There is continuity in the federal government, thanks to the thousands of government employees working directly for Uncle Sam. But there are also thousands of political appointees placed into their positions directly by the White House. Some of those positions require Senate approval, others don’t. The vast majority require some form of security clearance.
How Do You Apply For a Political Appointment?
You don’t get named to the President’s Cabinet through your carefully crafted resume, but an amazing resume and application could land you a great job in a government agency. The White House has its own application page for political appointments. (Hold up if you’re looking to apply for a job with the new administration – the current page still belongs to Obama).
Update – looking for a job with Team Trump? He has launched his transition page.
Are you likely to get a political appointment JUST by submitting your application online? No. You’re not likely to get any job by simply submitting an application. The key to getting any job is to network. For political appointees, that means networking with individuals who may be affiliated with the campaign, or with organizations that align with the candidate’s policies.
It’s possible for a political appointee to go to an agency and spend an entire four-year or more term there. It’s much more likely for political appointees to work for a few years, and then jump into positions in the private sector, or working directly for the federal government. Yes, that means some political appointees end up being ‘insourced‘ into the agencies where they came to work for via the Executive Branch. OPM has specific requirements for individuals who go directly from political appointment to federal employee, however.
Are there Political Appointees at the Pentagon?
If it’s a branch of the government, there are political appointees working there. In addition to high-level appointments confirmed by the Senate there are a number of ‘middle management’ type of positions, including many with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and other defense and intelligence agencies.
Who Processes Security Clearances for Political Appointees?
High-level political appointees have their security clearances processed through the FBI. The majority of political appointees will have their security clearances processed through the Office of Personnel Management, or the agency for which they’re going to work.
