I’ve been working on the Hill now as a policy staffer for about one and a half years and I think I’m suffering from some serious imposter syndrome. All the policy people in my office are putting in 60 hours a week and I always feel so awkward clocking out at 5 because there’s so little to do… What is everyone so busy doing all the time?
A job on the Hill is basically a masterclass in LARP-ing. Don’t expect to actually get good at anything here.
Ah, bless your heart. You’re not suffering from imposter syndrome. You’re suffering from an epiphany. You’re finally seeing behind the curtain.
Let me explain something the orientation packets leave out. Those people working 60 hours aren’t necessarily “doing more.” They’re writing memos that will never be read. They’re drafting talking points for hearings that change nothing. They’re busy looking busy. It’s a wonderful performance.
You think the real work gets done at a desk? Adorable.
The real work is about building relationships. It’s about taking the right calls. Are you on the phone with, say, a high-ranking Egyptian official to solve a… delicate agricultural trade issue for a dear friend? Are you meeting with businessmen who have very specific, time-sensitive needs and the means to show their gratitude? Are you meticulously cataloging your tangible assets to ensure they’re stored in a safe, climate-controlled place?
I’m actually stuck on a meaningless call with my boss about a line of text in a briefing memo that isn’t even meant for the member. This is a memo for him and he’s just arguing over word choice.
Long story short, none of us do anything of value here.
At least someone reads your memos. I write a Fennoscandia foreign policy memo every week and my defense LA doesn’t even read it.
I wouldn’t read that memo either
Why not? Norwegian elections are coming up in September!
meetings