Political Campaign Jobs

If political job hunting at any stage in life is a daunting process, searching for your first-ever political job as a young person can be completely demoralizing, especially in today's climate. While you may not be able to avoid all the headaches and meltdowns that accompany your transition into the "Real World," these tips for your first political job hunt will at least help you breathe more easily (and maybe even sleep at night) as you navigate.

Every year, campaigns are looking for cheap campaign staff who are willing to work long hours for low wages.  If you want to enter the field and you're smart and driven, you should be able to find a job. To be clear, it will likely take some time, and your first political campaign job might not be the exact job that you wanted. You will probably be required to travel, eat bad food, sleep in a house with way too many people, and work in an office that should have been condemned long before you arrived. Sound like fun? Then get on the road!

Here are some tips to begin your search for 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.

Having the correct team surrounding you when running a campaign is of the utmost importance, and a key step to ensuring that happens is putting together the right job descriptions for finding those folks and making sure you are asking for someone to apply for the role you actually need for your campaign. For example, say you need help raising money—you may think you need a treasurer, but what you are really looking for is a fundraising director. Below, you’ll find a complete list of campaign job descriptions that you might find in a moderately-sized race.

Career coach Emily Lamia has been helping people grow and develop in their careers for over a decade. She has supported countless people to network more effectively, interview more confidently, and think more strategically about how to get where they want to go.

Once you’ve decided to run for office, one of the first things you’ll have to do is think about campaign structure. Define your campaign roles— paid and unpaid— and write out campaign job descriptions that will help you build a winning campaign team.

When I started on the campaign trail, I was lucky enough to go through the Campaign Management Institute, where I became focused on grassroots political campaigns and met mentors through college programs and internships. Meeting folks who had made careers out of political campaigns, advocacy and public affairs, encouraged me to go on the road, pursue a career in politics and find a political campaign job and become a campaign staffer.

If you’re looking for your next career move that makes a difference, check out nonprofit job boards to find openings in the areas you’re interested in. Below, we compiled a list of boards that will help you find the right fit. Check out our larger list of job boards, jobs banks, and search firms here.

Political campaign jobs can be elusive to find. As someone who has gone through the daunting task of political job hunting not too long ago, I know how tough it can be to land a political campaign job—especially your first. With so many newly minted undergraduate, graduate, and even law school grads hunting for jobs in the same market, it can sometimes be an overwhelming and discouraging undertaking.

Every year and every election cycle, we all have important decisions to make about which political campaign to throw our time and resources behind. Whether you’re looking for a full-time job on a campaign, or simply a volunteer opportunity, it’s important to be thoughtful and strategic about which political campaign you choose.

Political internship interviews can be challenging. All political greats start somewhere. a political internship can help teach you important skills necessary for future success in the political field- it will be your first political job. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand interned for former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato during college, while Virginia Senator Mark Warner interned for three different Connecticut Democrats throughout high school and college. But with other exceptional candidates vying for the same internships as you, securing your first political internship can be difficult. You need to set yourself apart from these candidates to seal the deal and start your journey into the world of politics. One way to differentiate yourself from the sea of wannabe politicos is to master the internship interview. From one political intern to a future one, here are important tips to keep in mind as you get ready for interview season: