Rebecca Gale
| July 31, 2013, 4:47 p.m.
There are few phrases more beloved on Capitol Hill than “August Recess.” That four-to-five-week stretch of time when the Capitol empties out, vacation days are cashed in, and the general frenetic activity and acrimony of Congress are mellowed in favor of shorter work hours and longer happy hours. Bipartisan cheers all around.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 30, 2013, 2:01 p.m.
One of the most humbling parts of Capitol Hill is that so many of the top staffers started near the bottom. Many have answered phones, written constituent mail, stormed the halls of Rayburn getting signatures on a “Dear Colleague” letter — and then the right opportunity came and they were promoted to bigger and better things.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 26, 2013, 1:01 p.m.
What happens to your life on Capitol Hill if you’ve got a baby on the way? While leave policies vary among offices, there are several key pieces of information and terms that might be helpful in making a graceful exit for maternity/paternity leave and knowing what to talk about in your office.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 25, 2013, 11:32 a.m.
Robert Getzoff, a longtime Capitol Hill staffer with deep community ties, died on July 15. Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Timothy H. Bishop, D-N.Y., recently memorialized him on the floor of the House, paying tribute to his long Hill career in a joint statement submitted for the Congressional Record.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 23, 2013, 2:01 p.m.
The small town world of Washington, D.C., rings especially true on Capitol Hill, arguably more than any other place in the District. This means the friendships you form, the co-workers you have and even your romantic relationships are likely to follow you, on and off the Hill. But what happens when your job responsibilities put you directly in your ex’s path? Hill Navigator offers some advice on how to grin and bear it as the consummate office professional.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 22, 2013, 2:57 p.m.
BuzzFeed‘s Evan McMorris-Santoro has a story out today about unpaid White House internships:
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Rebecca Gale
| July 22, 2013, 1:09 p.m.
Q. I am a Democrat working for a very progressive Democrat. But after years of public service, I am ready to “cash out.” Although this is something that most staffers eventually do, I am having a difficult time figuring out how to tell my office since I work for such a progressive member. Any advice on how to break the news?
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Rebecca Gale
| July 18, 2013, 1:09 p.m.
Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman‘s words of wisdom? Don’t waste your energy raising campaign money all the time.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 16, 2013, 1:03 p.m.
Some career decisions we make early on can be reversible.
Rebecca Gale
| July 15, 2013, 10:14 a.m.
Hill staffers are an ambitious bunch. That same call to public service sometimes includes the drive to run for elected office.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 9, 2013, 3:02 p.m.
With summertime comes an influx of Capitol Hill internships. For many, the intern experience can be a first foray into the professional world. But what if you land in an office where you don’t see exactly eye-to-eye with the boss? This week’s Hill Navigator discusses what happens when the interns have opinions of their own.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 9, 2013, 10:30 a.m.
My colleague Jason Dick wrote in Roll Call’s After Dark Blog about the recent study that Americans aren’t taking as much vacation as they should. And the vacation we do take? We stay plugged in. We just love work that much.
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Rebecca Gale
| July 8, 2013, 10:32 a.m.
If someone tells you “everybody does it,” or “that is just how things are done here,” don’t believe it; that is kindergarten logic.
Rebecca Gale
| July 2, 2013, 11:17 a.m.
“When I am in a meeting with three or more people, usually the smartest person in the room is not found speaking.”
Rebecca Gale
| July 1, 2013, 10:32 a.m.
Feeling sorry for the unpaid intern yet?
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Rebecca Gale
| June 27, 2013, 11:31 a.m.
“Talent will take you to the top, but only character will keep you there.”
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Rebecca Gale
| June 25, 2013, 2:02 p.m.
At the end of the day, we all want to get paid for our work.
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Rebecca Gale
| June 24, 2013, 11:32 a.m.
Q. What’s your take on the long goodbye emails staffers love to send? You know the ones: I am moving on, I learned so much here, I am grateful blah blah blah. Sometimes I get one from someone I didn’t even know! Is this just a Hill thing and do I have to subscribe to it?
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Rebecca Gale
| June 20, 2013, 11:39 a.m.
Hill Navigator doesn’t claim to know all the answers. I read each and every question, and every attempt is made to provide a framework for solving work-related problems, especially those pertaining to Capitol Hill staff.
Rebecca Gale
| June 18, 2013, 3:01 p.m.
No one wants to be the guy languishing in the basement with a red stapler, but periodically a responsibility reshuffle can show who’s on the way up and who’s on the way out. And for those paying close attention, it can be sobering news.
