Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits
Three to five years’ of legislative experience dealing with a variety of political issues will be useful for aspiring lobbyists.
Lobbyists need to know what motivates Congress members and staff to act. They must be honest in all their dealings with others. A lobbyist's career will be based on his or her reputation as a reliable person, so it is important to be scrupulous in building that reputation. They also need people skills to develop good relationships with legislators in order to serve their clients' interests. Their knowledge of the workings of government, along with good communication skills, will help them explain government legislation to their clients in ways that they can clearly understand.
Related Professions
- Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers
- Ambassadors
- Aviation Safety Inspectors
- Bailiffs
- Bank Examiners
- Border Patrol Agents
- Campaign Workers
- City Managers
- Civil Engineers
- Congressional Aides
- Construction Inspectors
- Cryptographic Technicians
- Customs Officials
- Demographers
- Deputy U.S. Marshals
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Fund-Raising
- Directors of Volunteers
- Economists
- Emergency Management Directors
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Environmental Planners
- EPA Special Agents
- FBI Agents
- Federal and State Officials
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Foreign Service Officers
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators, and Analysts
- Fund-Raisers
- Futurists
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Health and Regulatory Inspectors
- Historic Preservationists
- Intelligence Officers
- Interpreters
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Librarians
- Military Recruiters
- Military Workers, Enlisted
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- National Park Service Employees
- Nonprofit Social Service Directors
- Occupational Safety and Health Workers
- Park Rangers
- Policy Analysts
- Political Columnists and Writers
- Political Consultants
- Political Reporters
- Political Scientists
- Political Speechwriters
- Press Secretaries
- Proposal Managers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Rabbis
- Recycling Coordinators
- Regional and Local Officials
- Roman Catholic Priests
- Secret Service Special Agents
- Social Workers
- Statisticians
- Traffic Engineers
- Translators
- Transportation Planners
- Urban and Regional Planners
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors