Insiders Talk: How to Get and Keep Your First Lobbying Job: Preparation, Potential Employers, and First-Day Performance

INSIDERS TALK

HOW TO GET AND KEEP YOUR FIRST LOBBYING JOB

Preparation, Potential Employers, and First-Day Performance

ROBERT L. GUYER

Other books by Robert L. Guyer

Insiders Talk: Winning with Lobbyists, Professional edition

Insiders Talk: Winning with Lobbyists, Readers edition

Insiders Talk: Glossary of Legislative Concepts and Representative Terms

Insiders Talk: How to Successfully Lobby State Legislatures

Insiders Talk: How to Successfully Lobby State Regulatory Agencies (2021)

Guide to State Legislative Lobbying, editions 1–3

INSIDERS TALK: HOW TO GET AND KEEP YOUR FIRST LOBBYING JOB, Preparation, Potential Employers, and First-Day Performance

Copyright © 2020 Engineering THE LAW, Inc.

Published and Distributed by Engineering THE LAW, Inc.

www.lobbyschool.com

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photo-copy, recording, or any other—except brief quotation in reviews, without the prior permission of the author or publisher.

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Engineering THE LAW, Inc.

13714 N.W. 21 Lane

Gainesville, Florida 32606

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019917712

Main entry under title: Guide to State Legislative Lobbying

Print ISBN: 978-1-7323431-2-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9677242-9-4

Book design by Sarah E. Holroyd (https://sleepingcatbooks.com)

This guide is dedicated to those wanting a fun, well-paying job helping others navigate government.

Table of Contents

Forward

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Do You Know What Lobbying Is?

Do You Have the Aptitude to Succeed as a Lobbyist?

Lobbyists Are Paid Well

There Aren’t Many Open Lobbying Jobs

What Kind of Lobbyist Do You Want to Become?31

Menu of Opportunities to Build Relationships

You Have to Be Good, but Being Good Isn’t Necessarily Good Enough

How to Prepare Yourself Before Starting Your Job Search

What to Do on Your First Day on the Job

Conclusion

Best Wishes

Appendix 1: Can Working in an Election Campaign Help Me Achieve My Legislative Goals?

Why Work in an Election Campaign?

The Rapid Evolution of Modern Election Campaigns

For Which Particular Candidates Should I Work?

Eyes Wide Open: Can I Afford to Lose My Bet?

What Kinds of Support Can I Legally Give?

What Can I Do Specifically for the Candidate’s Campaign?

The Value of Face Time

The Legislative Rewards of Volunteering

Long-term Rewards of Working in Election Campaigns

About Roger Austin

About Robert Guyer

Appendix 2: Effective Lobbying Is Getting Votes! 27 Fundamentals for Successful Lobbying

Endnotes

Forward

I am fortunate to be a lobbyist in the State of California, working with amazing elected and appointed officials, their staff, and fellow lobbyists at our state’s Capitol. After more than twenty years in this fulfilling profession, I still seek opportunities to gain knowledge and become a better lobbyist myself, and I spend a great deal of time passing along that knowledge to new lobbyists.

Robert Guyer and I share a passion for learning, for teaching, and for helping aspiring lobbyists to enter the profession we so enjoy. Robert has spent many years educating individuals about not only the tricks of the trade in order to be a successful lobbyist, but also the rationale for conducting ourselves in the way he describes in his seminars and his books.

When I first listened to his seminars, and then read his books, I kept saying to myself, I agree! This is exactly what I tell people in the lobbying profession! His experience at both the federal and state levels is unparalleled and the lobbying profession is fortunate to have him sharing his experiences.

This is his newest book in his Insiders Talk series and Robert tackles one of the most common questions that we both continue to get from those in the public and private sectors who want to join the lobbying ranks: How do I get into your field? Not only does Robert answer that important question, but also he helps you by explaining how to keep your job.

After reading this book, I am confident that you will have the necessary insights into pursuing a career as a lobbyist and that you will be prepared for succeeding in this profession that Robert and I cherish.

Chris Micheli

Aprea & Micheli, Inc.

Sacramento, California

October 2019

Preface

I am regularly asked, How do I become a lobbyist? A Google search of How to become a lobbyist produces about 6,790,000 results. A number of these basic overviews are useful.¹, ², ³ This short book adds our take to answering that question plus two follow-up questions: 1) how get your first job and, 2) how to excel at it.⁴

My contribution to the answer comes from nine years participating in executive agency rulemaking, followed by nine years lobbying legislatures, and twenty years training lobbyists. During the eighteen years, I lobbied for corporations and industry associations in several U.S. states and in Washington, D.C.; for two years in Canada and before the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) internationally; and for two years I assisted pro bono in enactment of Tennessee’s Long Term Community Choices Act of 2008.

During twenty years training lobbyists, university lectures, and other public speaking engagements I have met thousands of new and aspiring lobbyists who want to know how to lobby, get a lobbying job, and how to excel in it. The how to lobby is answered by my live and video seminars and several Insiders Talk books. This book touches upon the how to get and excel in a job.

Lobbying can be a fun, well-paying, and interesting career in which you are always learning something new and dealing with interesting people. However, it isn’t for everyone who thinks he or she may want to try doing it.

To help you decide if lobbying is for you, herein we go beyond basics of civics to discuss the realities of profession and practice, the great and the not so great. If after considering these realities you decide lobbying is really something you want to do, then we will examine your aptitude to be successful. That is, do you have what it takes to succeed? If you do, then we’ll show you how to prepare for your first job, and discuss questions to consider with potential employers. We will finish with suggested actions to take on your first day of employment.

Working in an election campaign can be a great introduction to politics. Dr. Roger Austin and I in Appendix 1, Can Working in an Election Campaign Help Me Achieve My Legislative Goals?, discuss this avenue as a means for you to get to know process, lawmakers and their supporters and to build your own political influence. Relationships built and experience gained may make you a more attractive potential new hire.

Appendix 2, Effective