Additional Information
Get to know the political system. Visit your state legislature or the Congress
in Washington.
"The best piece of advice I can give is this -- if you're interested in
being a lobbyist, you have to spend time on Capitol Hill," says Jackie Kuchta,
a lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
Learn all you can about political systems and how the legislative branch
operates. Essentially, says legislative advocate Michael Ross, university
classes mean nothing in the big picture of political lobbying. Instead, it's
an intricate knowledge of legislative history that gives him an advantage
in the field.
"I worked in the capitol at the same time as going to school," he says.
"I learned the legislature by living there. I know what's going on from history."
Try to get experience working in and around the legislature. "It doesn't
matter if you're working as an assistant or representative," says Kuchta.
Check out the library for books and videos on the government process. School
libraries will also have books and information on how the government operates.
If there is a certain area that interests you, such as bills on the environment
or on manufacturing, it's a good idea to learn about it. You have to know
about the issue that you want to lobby for.
Lobbyist Neil Herring also says practical experience is the route to acquiring
the skills you need. "I can't conceive of a school for lobbyists," he says.
Lobbying is something that people learn on the job.
Though knowledge of politics is a plus, there are no rigid educational
requirements for this job. "We have people here who have finished their master's
degrees and others who haven't completed their degree," says Kuchta. "Their
degrees are in a wide variety of fields."
However, many lobbyists may have a legal background or would at least have
taken some law courses. Of course, lawyers must go to law school in order
to practice.
The federal government and most state governments require political lobbyists
to be registered. A registry is a way of keeping track of lobbyists' activities.