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Essentially, I have always known that I wanted to get into politics at some level. I cared about laws and people, so it made sense. It was only until recent years that I decided I wanted to be a lobbyist.

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The realities of lobbying -- a look beyond the smoke and mirrors | Maria Laptev | TEDxUBIWiltz

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Now that we have established what a lobbyist does, this is a day in the life of a lobbyist in its state court.

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After taking a long sabbatical for school, I had to go on a journey of self discovery. I needed to figure out what I was passionate about, and what I could want to do for the rest of my life. Looking back at everything that I had done after 2018, I realized that I loved kids. I loved politics. I loved being able to make a difference, even if it were on a small scale. Meticulous research and inner soul-searching left me with this realization: why not try and get it done yourself?

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Ideally, I would love to see the real inner-workings of the process of legislation, and how much influence lobbying actually has on the Hill. I got to be able to see only glimpses and peeks on the outside during my tenure in D.C., but I want to know every nook and cranny of the career field I want to pursue.

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With this project, I am finally able to articulate why politics and lobbying and I go hand-in-hand. In the beginning, all politicians are faced with the scrutiny of their constituents. Everybody in politics wants to say the right thing at the right time, and I have felt like that my entire life. I am, in my most true state, a perfectionist. If my life was a movie, I would be my biggest critic.

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I took the Myers-Brigg Personality Quiz, and I ended up being the ENFP. According to 16personalities.com, an ENFP is someone described as, "People with the ENFP personality type (Campaigners) are true free spirits – outgoing, openhearted, and open-minded. With their lively, upbeat approach to life, ENFPs stand out in any crowd. But even though they can be the life of the party, they don’t just care about having a good time. These personalities have profound depths that are fueled by their intense desire for meaningful, emotional connections with others.."

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After taking the personality quiz, it made perfect sense as to why I wanted to be in politics. I desire for community and unity, and I would like to be the one to see the change.

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My personal goals not only align for my benefit, but for the benefit of all. My major personal goals are to be someone people can look up to, to try and give someone the day that I wish I'd like. I want to finish school and see to it that nobody else has to worry about education, or food, or basic necessities that are a right to every human.

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To be a lobbyist, you need to be able to believe that there can be a change in the world. You need to be ambitious and dedicated, and you need to motivate yourself everyday to make the world just a little bit better of a place than how you left it. Of course, there are those that neglect others and are simply in it for the paychecks, but that just adds another character trait that a lobbyist needs in order to be truly successful: honest. These are almost career requirements.

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In conclusion, I really did enjoy doing this project in order to take a deeper look into not only my career, but the real reasons as to why I want to delve into the world of politics to begin with. At my core, I always know what my intentions are, but it feels good to simply be reminded every now and again. Thanks to this career project, I got to go on a little refresher of self-discovery, and why exactly I am continuing to forge the path the way that I am. Thank you!

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For my career portfolio, I have chosen to delve into something that I have been passionate about for a while: lobbying. A lobbyist is, at its core, people advocating/representing a certain cause they want to back, and they lobby for public policy surrounding their current representation.