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 with your job but you wonder what’s next for you?

The first thing to recognize is that Capitol Hill is a very transient workplace. Things change, and sometimes they change often and unexpectedly. I wrote about this a few years back, Keeping Calm in the Post-Election Storm.

Keeping a positive outlook is important.  Senate Chaplain Barry Black says that in all situations, believers should be grateful (1 Thessalonians 5:18), optimistic (Romans 8:28) and satisfied (Philippians 4:12).  Look to Scripture, which is replete with admonitions and encouragement to know that God is in control and will guide your steps.

From the outside looking in, it might appear the Member simply takes all of their staff to the new position.  The problem is, it doesn’t work that way. More often than not, most staff will end up elsewhere; likely with the newly appointed member in this case, but that’s often a short term solution.

And it may be that the appointed or specially elected Member is prohibited from running for the seat, further diminishing the long-term prospects for staying in your current job. But, there is no need to worry, as the odds of securing or keeping a position are very good.

The positions at the discretion of the new cabinet member are relatively limited.  In this case, which is a mid-term appointment, even more so.  Most, if not all, of the positions suitable for a Hill staffer have already been filled.  And further, the White House maintains ultimate control over any available slot.

Notwithstanding these circumstances, let’s say you think you would like working in the administration. While the DHS is on a hill across the Anacostia River, it is far different from the hill you work on. So much so, you wonder how they can be so close and differ so greatly.

To illustrate this, I was offered an administration position some years ago while I was working in the Senate. I had been in the job less than a year, but had a good feel for what it was like to work there.

I went to the department for a meeting to discuss the position. Just walking down the hallways was eye-opening. Career employees and the surroundings are far different from what you run across every day in the House and Senate. You need to be prepared for that.

In the case of DHS, they have a new campus, which is bright and airy.  And the department is mission-focused, much like the armed services, and that’s a plus. But it’s still a bureaucracy, with limited public access, and all the attributes that come with that.

These are not reasons to not work there, it’s just to prepare you for the new world you think you would like to enter. Use these steps to help guide you along:

First, solicit the advice and support of the Member and Chief of Staff.  They can tell you if a position may be available in the new job and also assist in the transition with the appointed member. They can also offer very helpful references and possibly recommendations for private sector employment or other governmental positions.

I was Chief of Staff for two senators when they left the Senate, one retired and one left before his term expired to take a position at a think tank.Years before that, a friend who was also a chief of staff to a retiring senator told me that he believed it was his duty to make sure as many of his staff were taken care of prior to him leaving that office.

I followed his advice and tried my best to help my fellow staff members find meaningful employment, either in connection with the new position my boss had taken, or elsewhere.  I was pleased that it worked out better than I had expected.

Second, recognize that the responsibility for your job belongs with you.Your commitment and faithfulness will serve you well as you pursue the next steps.  God will not leave you empty-handed.

Next, lean on your support network of friends, work colleagues, professional connections, and family. They are invaluable and have an inherent interest in seeing you land a good job.

The good news is that unlike many situations where your job in suddenly in flux, most people don’t know about it.  In this case, it is highly publicized and will lend itself to getting the word out to prospective employers.

While this is an exciting opportunity, it comes with uncertainty and anxiety.  Lean on God’s promises for you in moments like this. It’s in situations like this that the Lord shows Himself faithful to those who seek His help.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

Bret Bernhardt was Chief of Staff to Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). He is a member of the 52-Week Ministry Foundation, of which HillFaith.org is a project.