We are big fans of Code for Progress. They have a great mission and hold a yearly job fair. If you are you looking to hire an app developer or data analyst, check out the Code for Progress job fair. For more information about Code for Progress visit them here. If Code For Progress is not a fit for you but you are looking to work on a campaign, you can check out lots of great programs here.

Last week, The Campaign Workshop hosted a interview training event for Code for Progress at our office that included a stellar cast of entrepreneurs, TCW staff, and an amazing group of fellows that are about to take the job market by storm.

A Political consulting firm comes in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Each undoubtedly has its own strengths, weaknesses and areas of expertise. However, regardless of the medium in which they specialize, there are a few traits that stand out in any good political firm. Below is a general, but crucial list:

Opposition research, or “oppo” for short, is something we have mentioned in this blog before, but have not discussed at length. Such an omission is unforgivable, and can only be chalked up to missing the obvious. Like, for instance, when a newspaper has a typo in its front-page headline because everyone was looking for little, nuanced stuff but missed the big, glaring oops! before going to print. So let’s right this wrong now, shall we?

Staying consistent with your campaign message is not easy. When first entering into politics some people may tell you to “never take it personal,” referring to the awful things people may say about you or your issues. "Stay on Message" "You need to have campaign message discipline" - is something you hear over and over again but that is easier in theory than reality.

Is your campaign doing opposition research? We’ve already talked about the importance of self-research for your political campaign here, and about the basics of opposition research for a political campaign. But, what do you do when your opposition research backfires?

Political direct mail printing: #4:  In previous installments of this series we covered finding a printer, managing schedules, specifying paper and digital vs. offset printing. This week is the final installment of the series and we’re going to talk about photos, file preparation and proofing.

Democratic direct mail: What does a mail firm do? Admit it, this is a question that a lot of people have wanted to ask but were too embarrassed: Well, never fear, After doing  award winning campaign mail for over ten years The Campaign Workshop is here with the answer. Below is a very general, and in no way exhaustive, overview of the duties of a good Democratic direct mail firm.

Running for office, campaign management, and working on campaigns for that matter, are really about making quick, informed decisions and a lot of them. Particularly at the beginning, there are a lot of things to decide on right away in your campaign management process: what office, what party, who to hire, who to target, what medium, who to call for money, how much to ask for, etc. The whole process can get away from you and turn into a paralyzing rumination if you’re not careful.

“Nasty, brutish and short,” doesn’t just sum up Thomas Hobbes’ feelings about the state of nature – it also applies to the often-lonely life of a piece of Democratic direct mail. It’s tough to get noticed and stand out from the other items stuffed in the mailbox, and even if it does get noticed, it’s usually quickly tossed out and forgotten.