| Public Information Officer |
As a state government, the Washington State Legislature has fairly
defined cultural norms but some surprising flexibility in staffing.
Naturally the elected officials follow a set of guidelines laid out by
parliamentary procedure and the rules of legislative action. Staff
members, either in policy development or media outreach (like me), can
have our job duties redefined quickly. Staff is also split according to
party, serving either the Democratic or Republican caucus, with the
exception of some non-partisan policy analysts. The employees are pretty
diverse, with the greatest diversity in the number of women and some
people of color. In Washington, the Legislature works part-time (several
months a year), but the staff works year-round. This makes for a cycle
of high-energy workdays during the legislative session and slower days
when the Legislature is out. Dress code also varies according to whether
the Legislature is in session or not; as we like to call it, 'school
clothes' when the legislators are in town. Business casual attire is
fine during the off days. There are numerous avenues for advancement
from the Legislative staff, both within state government and privately.
Although I haven't been here long, I've heard of former employees
throughout the public and private sectors.
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