White House jobs like calligraphy and pastry chef that don't require a political background

The White House is filled with unique job opportunities.

While there are some jobs where having a political background is an advantage, there are also many jobs that require non-political skills.

Even national leaders do not necessarily have to have a political background, but often do.

The only requirements to become president, as stipulated by the Constitution, are that one must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be over the age of 35, and have resided in the United States for 14 years. Former President Trump became the 45th president without ever holding any government office before being elected to lead the country in November 2016.

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Let's take a look at some unique White House jobs you might not know about that don't require an extensive political background from the hire.

Executive Pastry Chef and Executive Chef Calligrapher Social Worker “Bodyman”

1. Executive Pastry Chef and Executive Chef

A political background may not be required for either job, but cooking or baking experience should be comparable.

The White House executive chef has a lot of responsibilities beyond just cooking for the president: According to the Associated Press, the executive chef is also in charge of planning the menus for state dinners, social events, receptions, and official luncheons.

Christa Comerford, the first woman to hold the role, served as White House chef for nearly 30 years.

According to the Associated Press, she began her career as an assistant chef at the White House in 1995 and was later named executive chef in 2005, but previously worked in a Chicago hotel and a Washington restaurant.

Cristeta Comerford served as executive chef at the White House for nearly 30 years. (Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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“I've always said that food is love,” Jill Biden said of Comerford's retirement in July 2024. “Throughout her barrier-breaking career, Chef Chris has led teams with warmth and creativity, nourishing our souls in the process. Joe and I are incredibly grateful for her dedication and years of service.”

While the White House Executive Chef is responsible for the food served, the Executive Pastry Chef focuses on desserts.

White House pastry chef Susan Morrison spends much of her time planning and creating desserts for White House events, but she usually has another job on her mind.

“I think about the White House gingerbread house all year round, but we don't actually start baking it until November, then we work tirelessly for about four days after Thanksgiving to build the house and then we move it into the State Dining Room for over 60,000 guests,” Morrison told Oprah.com.

“And it has to look as perfect as it did on day one – that means it can't melt, be affected by moisture or be touched!”

One of the jobs of the White House executive pastry chef is to build the gingerbread house each year. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Prior to her White House job, Morrison had extensive baking experience, including working at the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner, McLean, Virginia, according to sources.

2. Calligrapher

If you have beautiful handwriting and artistic skills, you could be the next White House calligrapher.

Calligraphers play a major role in making documents and invitations look elegant through their careful crafting of each and every letter on the page.

According to Reader's Digest, this person is responsible for writing invitations, menus, and letters for the White House.

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You don't need a political background for this job, but you do need a background in design and art.

The calligrapher will be in charge of creating the invitations and menu designs. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

3. Social Worker

While the job doesn't require an extensive political background, White House military social assistants spend a lot of their time attending presidential events.

The role will be filled by a military member who acts as an assistant host at White House events.

They will be in frequent conversation with attendees and help ensure the event runs smoothly.

The job is in addition to other military duties, and according to The Washington Post, it does not come with additional pay.

Biden has holed up in the White House and again has no public events scheduled.

According to sources, the biggest events for which social aides work are state dinners.

4. “Bodyman”

The president's “body man” is his personal aide.

The body man, or body woman, is often at the president's side and is responsible for organizing the life of the nation's leader.

Reggie Love served as personal assistant to President Barack Obama during his term in office. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

“Most of the job is going out there and solving problems and anticipating needs and issues that may arise,” Reggie Love told Politico in 2015 about being Barack Obama's body man.

Love also shared what he always carried with him while working for the president.

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“My chequebook, my passport, a packet of chips in case I couldn't find anything to eat on the way that day, and lots of water,” Love told the outlet.

The job of serving as assistant to the president around the clock comes with many demands.

“The most important thing is to be prepared to anticipate the needs of the candidates and principals as they go through their day. This means everything from making sure they have proper food, like lunch and dinner, to having all the details they need for the event prepared,” Love told NPR in 2015.

“Some days I would sit next to the teleprompter operator while the candidate was talking, making sure the teleprompter operator didn't lose control of where the text scrolled. You're a problem solver,” he added.

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Love didn't have much political experience before becoming President Obama's body man — in fact, he aspired to be an NFL player before becoming a political aide.

He wrote a book about his time working for Obama called “Power Forward: My Presidential Education.”