White House Staff Have a Difficult Time Finding New Jobs

• Author: Jessica Williams
• Posted: 2024-04-09

As the current administration winds down its operations, a new staff will be entering the White House. The current staffers are trying to find new jobs, and most of them are finding that their most recent work experience is a hindrance to new opportunities. The people who have worked in the White House communications department are having a particularly difficult time securing new employment for when their current jobs end on January 20 at 11:59 am.

White House Staffers Are Looking for New Jobs

Most of the time, work experience in the White House is seen as a good thing. It's a challenging work environment, so anybody who works there is seen as able to perform under pressure, being available to respond to urgent and crisis situations and excellent at written and oral communication. However, that's not the case this time. There are only five more days to go with the current presidential administration, and White House staffers are having a difficult time lining up new jobs to transition to as soon as they're let go on January 20 at 11:59 am. President-elect Joseph R. Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States at 12:00 pm on January 20.

Employers Are Weary of Current White House Employees

The past two months of activities in the White House have involved a lot of chaos, lies, attacks, infighting and misrepresentation of facts. The corporate and Hollywood jobs that would usually open up to White House communications and administrative workers haven't materialized this election cycle. One of the public relations recruitment services that took on six White House employees said that as of January 15, none of them have been able to get even a single interview. They declined to work with several other White House staffers, citing insufficient resources to help them find new jobs.

What Recruiters Have to Say About the Current White House Staffers

Recruiters state that it is difficult to find employers who are willing to sit down with and interview any current employee of the White House. Although most of the employees have the right credentials that the employers want, the CEOs and human resources managers have a moral issue with the current White House workers. The recruiters are trying to get the White House staffers to update their resumes and social media profiles to reflect their ability to adapt to situations and roles outside of the political environment. They want the staffers to focus on their skills in crisis communication, strategic engagement and brand management. Their ability to work in a high-profile and fast-paced environment should also appeal to employers.

What Employers Have to Say

Employers associate current and former Trump administration employees as dishonorable, unable to tell the truth, attention-seeking and unprofessional. They don't want those traits to be associated with their organizations. That's why they're not inviting the White House staffers for interviews. Employers see many of the current and former Trump administration workers as having a sense of entitlement and self-focus instead of a focus on how they can help their employer. One human resources manager went so far as to say that the current and former Trump White House workers are narcissistic.

What the Current and Former Trump White House Workers Have to Say

One former White House worker, Alyssa Farah, is considering starting her own communications firm. She hasn't been able to land a job in Hollywood like she planned. Even though she's experienced in crisis communication, employers don't feel like she's suited to their organizational environment.

Other Reasons Why Current White House Workers Can't Find New Jobs

People who are still working in the White House were told that if they were caught looking for a new job while Trump is still in office, they would be fired. The insurrection at the Capitol on January 6 has made their situation even more difficult. Employers do not want to bring any chaos or dishonor into their organizations. The public is likely to treat any company that hires a high-profile Trump administration worker with skepticism and disdain. Many of the current and former White House communications specialists have lost credibility in the field. They're seen as spreading disinformation, which is a no-no in the media and communications industry. Some fringe media outlets might be willing to give them an interview, but for the most part, many will end up as freelance consultants or contributors who have to fight for jobs.