New Media Post-Election Job Opportunities

So we may not have any hot leads for Cabinet-level positions for currently enrolled students, but Lorelei Kelly suggests, "Bloggers: Get Thee to Congressional Staffs!" in a nice piece in Huffington Post. She writes:

You twenty-somethings who are reading this, if you can't take your day job after being part of such a political earthquake like last week's election, go find your local Member of Congress and apply for a job. Take the district job over one on Capitol Hill. Even though DC is as giddy as that prisoner in Plato's Allegory of the Cave--you know, where he is chained immobile to a wall for years--and then gets taken out to see the sun--the states are still where the most important action is going to be found because influential citizen input is a missing link for many issues on Capitol Hill. Then, when you write your letter to the Chief of Staff or mobilize your contacts, bill yourself as a "New Media" or "Citizen Participation" Specialist. The great thing about
being part of a new movement is that you get to make up your own job title. You will know more about how this election was electronically organized than anyone working in the office (but don't brag about it). In fact, apply for the job advertised, and sell your qualities for fulling those requirements, but come with a creative plan about how you are going to keep the citizens of the district involved and inspired. There are many resources available today that make national priorities relative to local concerns. Here are three that I use: the state report cards of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the bioterrorism defense report card from Trust for America's Health, or GreenReportCard. In fact, if you need a place to start, just google your issue together with "report card" and you'll get some good stuff. Don't forget the insanely useful Sunlight Foundation.

By the way, she also reports that Change.gov, the transition website, has received over 60,000 applications.

Photo by Annie Mole