Posts by Bret Bernhardt
BRET BERNHARDT: So, Your Boss is Retiring, Defeated, Joining the President’s Cabinet …
(832 WORDS) — Last week, President Donald Trump said he plans to nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If you work for Senator Mullin, or a Member in an analogous situation such as an unexpected retirement announcement, this is very relevant to you. You’re happy…
Read MoreLOOKING FOR A HILL JOB: (Part 5) Working on the Hill is the World’s Best Job (Or at Least it Was For Me!)
By Bret Bernhardt More often than not, a great job seems to be defined as one that pays generously for something you love doing each and every day. On Capitol Hill, it’s not always that way. So why is it the greatest job I’ve ever had? Simply put, there are few jobs that compare to…
Read MoreLOOKING FOR A HILL JOB: (Part 4) Nine Valuable Tips For Your Search
You’ve followed up on that job lead from your college friend who now works on the Hill, you’ve prepared a relevant resume, found a good recommender, and you just got invited to meet with the hiring manager. Now, how do you make the best of that interview? Here are nine tips: First, there are a…
Read MoreLOOKING FOR A HILL JOB: (Part 3) Getting Your Foot in the Door
By Bret Bernhardt Securing a meeting with your prospective employer is an important step in the process of landing a job on Capitol Hill. Before we get into the mechanics, it’s important to recognize that looking for a job is one of the most stressful things you will do in your professional life. After all,…
Read MoreLOOKING FOR A HILL JOB: (Part 2) Your Best Job Lead May Surprise You
By Bret Bernhardt Conventional wisdom may say the best path to a good job on the Hill is through the hiring manager. That may be a chief of staff, legislative director, or state/district director. However, there’s a surprise twist. More often than not, I have seen the best job leads for young and junior staff…
Read MoreLOOKING FOR A HILL JOB OR PROMOTION? (Part 1) Here’s The Best Resources
By Bret Bernhardt In this series, we will discuss the best way to land a job on the Hill and offer some helpful tips on how to do that. While a great network, a pertinent resume, and a successful interview are important, the greatest likelihood of getting a Hill job will happen one of two…
Read MoreWORKING ON THE HILL: Be a Disrupter of Dysfunction
Rarely a day goes by that we don’t see or hear about some type of dysfunction in our country, our communities, and even among our friends and families, ourselves included. Many of these dysfunctions seem so intractable they appear impossible to correct. However, as believers in Christ, we are called to reverse this trend by disrupting…
Read MoreSTAFF NEWS: Your Boss Just Won. Or Lost. What Now For You?
And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Matthew 6:30 Elections on Capitol Hill are always accompanied with anticipation and anxiety. The change that comes with it is easier to navigate for some than others. This election and the…
Read MoreDoes ‘Servant-Leadership’ Always Mean Serving And Leading?
By Bret Bernhardt Our world greatly needs service and leadership. To meet this need, we require both servants and leaders. Or perhaps it is “servant-leaders” that we need, a phrase that has been popularized mostly in Christian thought in recent years? Are you, as someone working on the Hill who follows the admonitions and teachings…
Read MoreMarriage and Family: Finding the Love of Your Life on the Hill
By Bret Bernhardt For many of us on Capitol Hill, when we were single and those who are single today, finding a lifelong marriage relationship was or is at the top of our To-Do lists. If not at the top, it’s certainly running in the background. If this is true for you , what’s to…
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