CAREER ADVICE

 There Ought To Be a Law 

As we listen to the news, we hear about lobbyists in Washington, D.C. or in Des Moines.  What are lobbyists and what do they do?  Are there lobbyists in the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area? Why would a high school student consider lobbying as a career?  We will provide answers to these questions and more in this brief article. 

According to the dictionary, lobbyists are people who try to influence the voting of legislators or to procure the passage of a bill.  According to folklore, the term lobbying goes back to the days of President Grant.  He would walk from the White House to the Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.   President Grant would sit in the lobby and citizens would come and talk to him and ask him to do things.  Thus, the term lobbyist was coined. 

Organizations of all types hire lobbyists.  Lobbyists can be hired as employees of an organization or they can be hired as consultants.  Examples of local organizations that hire lobbyists are the City of Cedar Rapids, labor unions and the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.  These organizations rely on their lobbyists to pay special attention to pending legislation that can have either a negative or positive impact on them.  Lobbying is a career that is very rewarding and exciting. There are continuous opportunities to learn due to constant changes in legislation and in elected officials. 

Lobbyists do much more than just try to influence people.  Because they focus on specific issues, lobbyists become experts on these issues and more often than not, provide much needed information to their employers as well as to lawmakers.  This information is helpful to lawmakers who cannot be experts on every issue that they must deal with, and it helps them make wise legislative decisions.  

Successful lobbyists are able to research and analyze issues and develop strategies to effect favorable legislation.  Because interacting with people is what they do, lobbyists must be very careful and thoughtful listeners.  They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, not only in speaking but in writing as well.  The environment in which they work is fast paced.  Because they work with lawmakers, public figures and key decision makers from all walks of life, their career can be very exciting.  Teamwork is a skill that is essential to a lobbyist’s success.  An understanding and a love of politics are also very important. 

Students who are considering lobbying for their career must plan on attending a four-year college where they will include political science and communications in their studies.  If possible, they should attempt to job shadow a lobbyist at the state capital.  Later on, an internship with a lawmaker would also be helpful.  This situation would allow the intern an opportunity to learn more about the legislative process and observe how legislators interact with lobbyists.  Some lawyers become lobbyists.  Their legal training is helpful in drafting (or writing) bills and amendments.  The income level for lobbyists can easily range from about $35,000 per year up to the high six figures.

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