Deacon Spotlight: Jackson Notes
Jackson Notes (’21, BA Politics and International Studies)
Policy Advisor, U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC
Tell us about your current job role/employer and what you’re currently working on.
I am employed by Representative Dan Meuser (R-Pennsylvania) as his Policy Advisor specializing in Financial Services Policy. My job entails engaging with industry stakeholders, crafting jurisdictional legislation, drafting letters for the Congressman, and coalition building around policies and ideas that push the competitiveness of the U.S. financial services industry and increase access to capital across the country.
What personal and/or career experiences did you have prior to landing your current job and leading to where you are now?
After graduating from Wake Forest in 2021, I knew I needed to be in Washington to work in politics. I started at a lobbying firm in Washington DC named Williams & Jensen as a Legislative Analyst, researching congressional activities and tracking legislative client issues.
Ultimately, I knew I wanted to work on Capitol Hill, specializing in Financial Services policy. Less than 2 years later in Feb. 2023, I applied for a Financial Services Fellow roll at Congressman French Hill’s (R-Arkansas) office, who is the Vice Chair of the Financial Services Committee.
Four months later, I had the opportunity to work for Rep. Meuser as his Legislative Assistant and was promoted a year later to Policy Advisor. I now am one among 50 individuals across Democrat and Republican personal offices that shape financial services policy in the House of Representatives. The experience and drive from my previous roles pushed me to this point, and I am just getting started.
What was the most challenging aspect of your first “real world job” and what did you learn from it?
The most challenging aspect was COVID-19. The networking was limited and remote work was now the norm. Washington DC is all about who you know, and zoom “coffees” were perhaps the worst way to get someone to remember your name.
The second the Hill opened in 2023 I was there everyday having coffees and networking to make up for lost time. Everything became virtual. I learned valuable skills on ways to use virtual professional tools, such as Zoom, Chat GPT, and collaborative documents.
However, I lost the first year and a half of networking. Luckily, the culture where I worked supported me going out and building my professional network. With a little help from partners, I landed my second job. I learned persistence and not being afraid to go to your boss and ask for help boosting your career are key to moving up. Pursue what you want and your boss will reward your good work with networking opportunities.
What advice would you give to new Wake Forest graduates about developing their personal life habits after college (finances, health, values, work/life balance)?
Work life balance is perhaps the most important. Just as at Wake, work hard play hard should be your mantra. My job can be 12 hour days sometimes, but I come home to my fiancée and always unplug on the weekends. Take time to focus on mental health, social health, and enjoying being an adult and making money.
How have you made personal and professional relationships in your city, company, or community?
Absolutely, mostly through work and some happenstance social interactions. Going back to work life balance, going out to happy hours during the week and bars on the weekend expanded my personal and professional network and even made me new friends. It helps me enjoy the city I live in and the job I do.
Have you been mentored by anyone at Wake Forest or in your professional life? If so, what impact has that relationship had on you?
I really have no mentor. I run over every decision with my family, fiancée, and close friends I met at wake. They guide my professional decisions by committee rather than a single mentor.
What advice would you give to current Wake Forest students and/or young alumni who are about to start their first professional job?
Take a chance. Go for what you love, and execute on a plan.
What are your future career goals or plans? How are you being intentional about working towards them?
My future career goals are to work at the Treasury Department or the U.S. Senate with the eventual goal of going private and lobbying. That can only be through continuing to build my network, my name brand, and finding the right opportunities to advance my career.
Story published in September 2024. For current updates on Jackson’s career path, visit his LinkedIn profile.