An Interview With Mallika Vastare, Affairs Advisor at The Furman Group

Government + Nonprofit

An Interview With Mallika Vastare, Federal Government Affairs Advisor at The Furman Group

An Interview With Mallika Vastare, Affairs Advisor at The Furman Group Image

Influencing government legislation on water and infrastructure by day, and networking with industry professionals by night, Mallika Vastare has her hands full. She works as a federal government affairs advisor at The Furman Group and—get this—she’s only 24! So how did she reach such impressive career heights at such a young age? The short answer is curiosity, dedication and a whole lot of hard work. The long answer? That’s a story that begins when Mallika was just 14 years old, interning with her local congressman.

During her internship, Mallika gained valuable experience, not to mention a head start in an industry that isn’t always easy to navigate—especially for women. It’s for this reason that Mallika is the co-chair of Women in Government Relations, a group devoted to supporting other females in the industry. The group offers classes and networking events, helping Mallika and other like-minded women make their stamp in their chosen competitive field.

In fact, Mallika says that networking has helped her land every job she’s had so far (so you might want to re-think your decision to skip that cocktail party or corporate luncheon!). Not only has networking helped Mallika secure some pretty sweet gigs in the past, but she also says that connecting with others across the country has been one of the main highlights of her job as a whole.

Her Starting Point

You graduated with a degree in Public Policy from American University. How did you become interested in that world? How did you know you wanted to pursue a career related to government and politics?

When I was 14 years old, I interned with my local Congressman in his district office. My mom told me that if I wanted to get into a good school, I would need to start building my resume early. During my internship, I had the opportunity to meet some very interesting people. I was in constant contact with different embassies, and it was an experience that I would never forget. It got even more exciting when one of the constituent representatives decided to run for local office. He asked me to help him on his campaign on the weekends, and so it began. During my time in high school, I worked my way up from local government and ended up working for a NYS Assemblywoman by the time I graduated.?

During college you held several different internships, working as both a press intern and government relations intern. What is the most valuable lesson you learned from all of those experiences?

Networking really pays off! I have gotten every job that I have ever had from someone I met at an event.

You previously worked as a legislative assistant for the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, where you helped develop legislation related to financial services issues. What drew you to those issues in particular?

When I first started at NAFCU, I had no idea what a credit union really was! I was very fortunate to have a great boss and team who wanted to help me grow. My boss at the time used to have me take on meetings with Congressional staffers and write letters to Members of Congress on behalf of those issues. At the time, I hated doing them because I felt that I had no idea what I was doing. As time progressed, I became more comfortable in the issues just because I realized I knew a lot more than I thought I did.

How did you know that you wanted to work on impacting federal governments rather than local governments? Is there a big difference between the two?

My favorite part of my job is working with different people, and working in federal government allows me to interact with a vast group of people from all over the country. I will say that when it comes to passing legislation, state governments get more done!?

An Interview With Mallika Vastare, Affairs Advisor at The Furman Group- Her Starting Point

Her Big Break

You now work as a Federal Government Affairs Advisor for the Furman Group, influencing legislation related to water and infrastructure. What was the transition to this job like? What is the biggest different from when you were a legislative assistant?

The hardest part of the transition was coming from a big trade association, where I had five other lobbyists helping me on issues, to an office that has only five people in it. It definitely has given me more responsibility and accountability.

Your current work has a lot of impact on the environment and environmental legislation. What is your favorite part about dealing with these topics? What is the most challenging?

It is never boring! Given the drought in California, we are constantly working with Members of Congress to find ways to provide more water to the people out west. My favorite part is learning about all the ways that water districts are using technology to get more water into homes!

Take us through a normal day on the job. How do you carry out your duties and what’s your main goal?

The best part of my job is that there is no “normal day.” If Congress is in session, I spend most days on the hill, meeting with Congressional staffers advocating for my clients, attending Congressional hearings and attending Roundtable events. In the evenings, I spend my time at networking receptions and fundraisers. If Congress is in recess, I monitor the news, catch up on emails and focus on federal agencies. In particular, I work closely with the Environment Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers and make sure I am aware of any new regulations that can impact our clients. I also get to travel a lot for my job and visit my clients in California. That is my favorite part of my job because I get to see how specific legislation would directly impact our clients and all the wonderful projects they are?working on.?

In your line of work, how long does it take to see something new carried out from start to finish? Who do you interact with and how do you work in tandem with them to see change and create action?

It varies. Depending on the issue, it could take anywhere from two weeks to five years. Sometimes, projects never actually get finished! It is important to work with Members of Congress, their staff and other stakeholders in order to get something carried out.

An Interview With Mallika Vastare, Affairs Advisor at The Furman Group- Her Big Break

Her Perspective

Women have definitely become a larger force in government, but are still considered a minority. What is your advice for women who want to become more involved or follow a similar career path as yourself?

Work hard, be curious, network and take negative comments with a grain of salt. What really has helped me is that there are so many great resources for women who are in the government relations field. Specifically, I am the co-chair of a group called Women in Government Relations, which consists of 900 women in the government relations sector. WGR provides professional development classes, networking receptions and, most importantly, a support group!

You graduated from college in 2012. What is it like to be a young person in your career field? Do you see it as an advantage or disadvantage? How so?

I would be lying if I said it was easy. I think it is a constant challenge to be taken seriously, but I don't think that it is specific to any one profession. However, there are a lot of young people on Capitol Hill and there is some kind of camaraderie, which makes it easier to get things done.?

What do you consider to be your biggest success as a Federal Government Affairs Advisor?

I do not think I have one particular biggest success as a Federal Government Affairs Advisor yet. However, it is always rewarding when you help work on legislation that passes Congress!

And finally, what do you wake up looking forward to? What’s next for your career?

As for my career, only time can tell! I just bought my first apartment, so I definitely plan on being in D.C.! In terms of what I wake up looking forward to, it is seeing what else I can get my hands on doing!