Making the Most of a Campaign Job
A campaign job is a great way to gain political experience and responsibility quickly; however, not all campaign jobs are the same, and being a staffer is hard work. Whether you are looking at a long-term career in politics, using it as a stop on the way to grad school, looking for more meaningful work, or other paths, becoming a campaign staffer can be an important steppingstone. Below are some core choices folks make in the world of campaign jobs.
Campaign jobs can grow your career
Campaign jobs are a good place to start your career. When you first begin working on campaigns, everything is new and exciting. For many of us who have been in the business for a while, we didn’t care what kind of grunt work we did; we just wanted to be in the fight. But if a long-term career in politics interests you, there are some smart steps you can take early on with a campaign job that will help advance your career. Being clear about things you like to do and things you don’t is a good place to start.
Pick a campaign job track
Think of each department on a campaign as its own set of railroad tracks. There is a communications/new media/press track, a field track, a fundraising track, a management track, and a support track. Switching from track to track can slow down your career, just as it does trains—unless you have a clear reason and plan. This is true for most careers; campaign jobs are not the only careers where experience matters. For many folks hiring for campaign jobs, drive and focus can mitigate where you may lack in experience.
Political internships can help
We recommend volunteering and interning (if you can at all afford it) in a couple of different capacities to get a feel for each track and what you think you might like to do. That way, when you are eventually hired in a paid capacity, you keep moving up each railroad tie toward advancement.
For example, say you have always wanted to work on a campaign and decide to volunteer to do new media on a citywide campaign in the communications and press shop. It will now be a whole lot easier to get a paying communications and press job on your next campaign. If you wanted to switch to field organizing from communications and press, you would more than likely be an intern, despite your previous campaign experience.
Fellowships can also help
Campaign fellowship programs have increased in recent years, and they are a great way for recent grads or mid-level employees to grow in their careers. Some of my favorites include Blue Line Fellows and Loft Leaders, but there are many others out there.
Short-term course in a political field
The good news is, once you start to move along in your given track, you can pick up speed quickly. Campaign jobs are great because they are short-term crash courses. You can end up working on a couple of campaigns per year—more if your candidate folds before the primary or you move somewhere with a later primary date—and, if you stick with your given track, each new job can advance you one railroad track tie closer to the management or executive level. In other careers, it can take years, if not decades, to reach a senior-level role; I’ve seen savvy campaign people do it in 2 or 3 cycles.
Below are a few types of jobs and what they entail to help you get an idea of which ladder you want to climb.
Campaign finance jobs: A campaign finance job is a core part of the campaign team, whether you are working with a candidate to do call time, following up with donors, or building specific donor programs. Campaign finance is a great gateway to nonprofit development or even corporate fundraising. We have seen many folks stay in the fundraising business long-term after an initial campaign fundraising job.
Campaign communications jobs: If you are a recent college grad with a degree in public communications or journalism, going on a campaign in a junior press capacity or digital capacity could be a great place to learn quick writing skills and campaign communication skills. It can get you on a track to either stay in politics doing communications working for an elected official or PR.
Campaign field jobs: Field organizing, running canvas crews, and developing relationships with voters on a one-on-one basis is usually a large entry-level place for folks to go, and it’s where we have often seen folks who start as volunteers move into field director roles. A canvassing or field role can turn into a field director role or turn into constituent services for an elected official, as well as grassroots organizing for a nonprofit.
Campaign management jobs: Campaign manager jobs usually begin when someone has started in a previous track and moves into a management track. Having a secondary capacity, such as fundraising or communications, can be a cost savings for a campaign, especially small ones that can't afford multiple staff. Often, you will see initial campaign managers playing an extra fundraising role or an extra communications role to help as campaigns get bigger. However, this is not necessarily what always happens, especially on larger campaigns.
No degree needed
Doing work in politics does not necessarily mean having to have a completed college degree. We have seen many folks succeed and rise in campaigns, especially in the field and fundraising, without having a college degree. Don't let that hold you back from applying to jobs in the political sphere.
If you are reading this while in college or while you have a dead-end job that you are hoping to change, see about volunteering a few hours a week on a local campaign. If you like it and are good at it, position yourself at the end of a track and get ready to roll.
Don't miss out on our content—click the button below to sign up for our blog and stay in the loop. Questions? Get in touch!