[1][2] He attended Dubuque Wahlert High School and Loras College, both Catholic educational institutions.
[2] Jochum worked for John Deere, and was an active member of the United Auto Workers, including a stint as editor of the Local #94 News.
By his ninth and final term in office, Jochum had become executive director of Arc of the United States' Iowa branch.
[1] After he stepped down from the state legislature, Jochum's first wife Pam ran for office, and was elected.
Jochum himself founded a consultancy firm and advocated for the Meskwaki Nation and the disabled.