Everyone applies. Few get told why.
Free 30-minute career mentoring across the District, from Downtown DC, Capitol Hill, Navy Yard and the DMV to the smallest town on the map. Tell us what you are stuck on, and we match you with a working professional who has already done the job you are aiming at, whether they sit in District of Columbia or on the other side of the world.
- Session length
- 30 minutes
- Cost to a mentee
- Free
- Times shown in
- ET
The people who arrive stuck.
Students and recent graduates
Applying into government and policy around Downtown DC with nobody at home who can explain how the hiring actually works.
Job seekers
Strong on paper, stalling at interview, and with no one in District of Columbia who will say plainly what the shortlist turns on.
Career changers
Moving out of law and consulting, or across to it, with a resume that still reads like the last job rather than the next one.
The fields District of Columbia mentees ask about most.
Matching is cross-border. A mentor in another state, or another country, is normal and often the whole point.
government and policy
international development and NGOs
law and consulting
Public sector and non-profit
Startups and small business
Four steps, one half hour.
- 01
Tell us what you are stuck on
A short sign-up: where you are, what you want next, and the one thing blocking it.
- 02
We match you
You are matched with a mentor doing the job you are aiming at.
- 03
Pick a time that suits you
Times are shown in ET, so a mentor elsewhere never means an awkward hour for you.
- 04
Thirty minutes on video
In English, free to you, with a written summary of what to do next.
Local shorthand, and what it means.
the DMV
DC, Maryland and Virginia as one job market.
the Hill
Congress, and the low-paid entry roles that gate careers there.
GS scale
The federal pay grades that decide what a role pays.
The questions we hear most here.
Asked from Downtown DC, Capitol Hill, Navy Yard and the DMV, and from everywhere in between.
How do I move between the Hill, an agency, a non-profit and the private sector?
How do I explain how policy, Hill or agency experience translates into private sector pay and titles?
How do I get into government and policy without knowing anyone already in it?
Should I stay in District of Columbia, move for the job, or work remotely for an employer elsewhere?
What does a strong application look like when the reader has never been to District of Columbia?
Who pays for this.
Employers running Give, so their people mentor outside the business
Colleges and universities buying career access for their students
Charities and foundations widening opportunity for the people they serve
Employers running Redirect for the candidates they turn down
Ready to start in District of Columbia?
Book a free 30-minute session, or tell us what you need and we will match you with a mentor who does the job you are aiming at.
The things people ask first.
Do I have to live in District of Columbia to book?
No. Anyone can book. This page exists because the questions we hear here repeat.
Is it really free?
Free to you. Sessions are funded by our employer, university and public-sector partners.
Will my mentor be local?
Sometimes. We match on the job you are aiming at first, so your mentor may work in District of Columbia or on the other side of the world.
How long until I am matched?
Most people are matched within a few days, then pick a slot in ET.
Will my mentor understand the District of Columbia job market?
Often, yes. Where the better match sits elsewhere, the advice is still set against what you are facing here, including how policy, Hill or agency experience translates into private sector pay and titles.
Can I be matched with someone in government and policy?
Yes. It is one of the areas District of Columbia mentees ask about most, and mentors in it volunteer across the network.
Get unstuck in District of Columbia.
Thirty minutes with someone who has already done it, whether you are in Downtown DC or two hours from the nearest one. Free to you, always.