My Life Before the Legislature: Communications staffers rely on lessons learned in fascinating former jobs.

• Author: Carroll Andrade, Jane

There's nothing like a legislative session to keep a communications staffer in the present moment. The days whoosh by as they write, record, interact, strategize, post and photograph. They are quick, responsive and responsible, using skills honed in prior positions.

Like a lot of legislative staffers, communications staff bring a wealth of experiences to their jobs. We persuaded a few of them to pause for a moment to revisit their pasts. We found a world traveler, a filmmaker, a public relations pro and a bullet-dodging journalist.

Come along as we explore their diverse experiences and lessons learned as they recall their lives before the legislature.

Guy Bergstrom

Senior communications specialist, Washington House Democratic Caucus

In current job since: 1996

Former job: Newspaper reporter

What I did: "I covered politics, mayhem and political mayhem. It was never boring." One particularly memorable day, he got a call from a small-town police chief telling him there was a shooter on the loose. "When I got out of my beater car, he shot at me. Not that I was special. He was shooting at everybody."

What I brought to the legislature: First, "speed is fundamental." Writing three stories before 10 a.m. was great training. Second, persuasion and structure, which are the most difficult and interesting parts of the job. "What they teach us in journalism school--the inverted pyramid--is fine for press releases and radio briefs, but what lawmakers are really doing 90 percent of the time is persuasion."

Advice for newbies: In a world where communications is "changing by the week," he recommends learning how to tell stories. "It's still about informing the press and public. Using storytelling or rhetorical tools instead of the inverted pyramid gives people the same information, just in a package that's far easier to digest. And that helps do an important job: making sure people are informed and know how to get involved in their democracy."

Alison Kniker

Video manager, Texas Senate Media Services

In current job since: 2002

Former job: Broadcast manager for Royal Caribbean Cruises, the first woman in the position fleetwide.

What I did: Recorded shows, guest entertainers and activities on board, and did location shoots. She went straight from an airplane to a camel's back on the Spanish island of Lanzarote, and learned to adjust her camera to climates ranging from Iceland and Scandinavia to Egypt and New Zealand.

What I brought to the legislature: The sense...