Land a job at the White House as part of the president’s administration

The building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., is a place many commute to for work. 

There are a large range of jobs at the White House, some of which are not overly political in nature, such as the chef, and others who typically come equipped with a strong government background, like the chief of staff. 

Jobs within a president’s administration change every four to eight years, when a new president is elected into office. 

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There are approximately 4,000 political positions to fill in each presidential administration, according to the Center for Presidential Transition. 

Within these jobs, there are certain ones that require Senate confirmation, according to the source, and others that do not.

Examples of jobs that require approval from the Senate include Cabinet secretaries and agency heads, while roles like senior White House aides and advisors do not, per the source. 

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There is no cohesive list where all open jobs for a president’s administration are listed.

Instead, each presidential administration has an online application through the White House website that can be filled out by prospective candidates. 

Since this is a general application, rather than one for a specific job, there are many opportunities through the application requiring potential candidates to note what area of work they are interested in. 

For example, in addition to uploading a resume, you will also have to choose your desired functions. 

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As of September 2024, the desired functions listed on WhiteHouse.gov for the Biden-Harris Administration are communications/press, digital media, informative technology, intergovernmental affairs, legal, legislative, management/administration, policy, project management/operations, scheduling and speechwriting. 

Additionally, there is a desired policy areas of interest section, which includes agriculture, arts/humanities, budget, children and family, civil rights and liberties, criminal justice/justice, defense, education, environment, foreign policy, health care, housing, immigration, mental health and more. 

There is also a space to choose the desired department you wish to be a part of.

A question about why you want to work for the administration, your political party affiliation, government experience as well as management experience are also questions listed. 

Individuals who work in a president’s administration often spend many years working in government positions. 

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Dana Perino, for example, worked as the press secretary at the White House under former President George W. Bush, the first female to hold the role in a Republican administration. 

Prior to joining the press office, she spent more than seven years in the Bush administration working at the Justice Department and the Council on Environmental Policy.

With the highly competitive nature of joining a president’s administration, one aspect that could benefit candidates is networking. 

One ideal way to network and gain experience is through internships. Internship opportunities offered at the White House are listed on the White House’s website. 

There is also the White House Fellows Program, which was founded in 1964 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson, per WhiteHouse.gov. The highly-esteemed program gives individuals the opportunity to work full-time, paid, for a year as a fellow to senior White House staff, Cabinet secretaries and other top-ranking government officials, according to the source. 

"The purpose of the White House Fellows program is to provide gifted and highly motivated emerging leaders with some first-hand experience in the process of governing the Nation and a sense of personal involvement in the leadership of society," the White House states on its website. 

The White House Fellows is a non-partisan program. To apply, applicants must have "a record of remarkable professional achievement early in one’s career" as well as "evidence of leadership skills and the potential for further growth" and "a demonstrated commitment to public service," per the White House website.

Also, candidates should have the skills they need to "succeed at the highest levels of the Federal government."