If you happen to be a cabinet secretary or are in a senior position at the White House, you’ll be fine. And a select few will be approached by head-hunting firms, but those calls will be rare. Almost everyone else has to hustle. But don’t despair: If you are diligent and persistent and you have a little time, you will find your place in Washington.

For the purposes of this conversation, there are five main job markets outside of the government in Washington:

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Established law firms, lobbying firms and PR firms. Trade associations and nonprofits. Corporate offices. Businesses that aren’t directly connected to the government, but happen to be located in D.C., such as Marriott, private banks, etc. Hanging out your own shingle.

For sectors 1-4, there will be more applicants than there are spaces, at least in the near term, which means determination and persistence are at a premium. Immediately start meeting with people who you think work in an interesting place or at least a place that intersects with your interests. Go see a few people who have held your government job and ask what they are doing now and what has worked — or hasn’t worked — for them. Exchange notes and contact details with everyone you can. As soon as possible, be able to answer this question: What would a wise client or business hire you to do and how much they should they pay you? You would be surprised at all the people I meet with who can’t answer that question. Note that those who may find the job search the hardest are those who entered government in their 20s and have ridden up the government pay scale to the point where their salaries surpass those of their private-sector counterparts, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars. Downer. Be sure you have realistic salary expectations.

Know that at many firms in town, you will largely be judged on whether you are viewed as a promising business developer — specifically, whether you can bring clients to the firm. Most firms have a bias toward new hires who can bring in business. After 25 years of being a lobbyist in Washington, I’m no better than 50-50 on being able to identify business developers. Some people have a natural knack for attracting clients, while others have business repellent in their aura. Unfortunately, business repellent is odorless, colorless, invisible in the infrared and cannot be detected with any existing technology. If you don’t think you are a business developer, say so. Say you want to service clients and that sales is not your thing. Experienced firms will get that and make better, more honest calculations.

If you do decide to hang out your own shingle, business development becomes even more crucial. People ask me all the time, “So Ed, how do you get business?” Answer: I have no idea. I’ve had an anxious knot in the back of my throat every single day for the past 25 years from worrying about where business is going to come from. It is the most terrifying thing about starting your own service business. While I’ve never figured out a precise marketing plan or formula that gets business, I have three observations to share after all these years. First, you get business by asking for business. That sounds trite, but it’s true. And if you go a whole week without asking for business, you should rethink how you are spending your time. Second, work begets work. Get one piece of business, and if you do a good job, sometimes someone will notice and bring you more work to do. Third and finally, when you get out, things happen. Book breakfasts and lunches, attend conferences and if you have the budget for it, don’t be afraid to travel to ask for business. You will be surprised who you will bump into. There is a lot of serendipity involved in getting business.

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When President George H.W. Bush lost his reelection in 1992, I had been out of the government for a little while, but it was still a shock — and it was bad for business. In 1993, I developed a useful line when meeting with many of my former colleagues: “What are you doing, and how can it be good for me?” I recommend making this line part of your standard greeting.

In this new era, the good news for those who want to stay in Washington is that the lawyer/lobbyist/PR consultant business is a growth business. As the government becomes more complex, more companies and institutions than ever are coming to Washington to determine how they should engage or avoid the government. Also, partisanship plays less of a role than it used to. If you are a serious person who wants to talk about a serious issue, the offices that matter more likely than not will be willing to see you. In furtherance of doing a good job, principals and staffers will meet with the affected parties. The vast majority of bureaucrats and political appointees want to be smarter and to do a good job. They want to hear from people who have something relevant to offer.