After graduating, he became a functionary with the Communist Youth League, eventually leading the organization's arm at his alma mater.
In June 2002 he was named head of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Beijing and a member of the municipal Party Standing Committee, ascending to sub-provincial ranks at the age of only 40.
[2] On January 25, 2013, Ji Lin was named Chairman of the Beijing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
At the time he was the second youngest CPPCC provincial-level chair in the country, next to Nurlan Abilmazhinuly.
[citation needed] Ji is an alternate member of the 17th, 18th and 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.