What are the hardest things to deal with when running a political campaign?
I want to go into politics. #political-science #politics
6 answers
Chase’s Answer
Hi Roy,
Before I became an attorney, I served as campaign manager for a couple of political campaigns. First, I really enjoyed running the campaigns because you meet so many interesting people and also broaden your network. Running campaigns is high energy and is a nonstop job from the campaign kickoff to the election, but if you enjoy politics and like working in teams, this is a great job. However, the downside of being a campaign manager is lack of work-life balance during the election season and trying to find work when there is no election. I would encourage you to volunteer on a few campaigns (state, local, or federal) to see if you want to work in politics full-time. By volunteering on campaigns, you will get exposure to political consultants and other political professionals who will be able to answer your questions and give you guidance in pursuing a career in politics. Best of luck to you!
Ross’s Answer
Dennis’s Answer
Good Luck!
Dennis’s Answer
Have a plan in place and Follow through with it as Best you can!!
Alyssa’s Answer
Hi Roy, Running a political campaign would be a great career choice. I do not have that experience personally but am happy to make a few recommendations for how to get your question answered.
- Do research online to find as much information as you can about your upcoming local elections.
- Find a candidate who you would like to support in an upcoming political election. Reach out on their campaign website and see if you can volunteer your time.
- See if you can volunteer with your city office on election day to help work the polls. Search Google for your city name and look for volunteer opportunities on their website.
Any volunteer opportunities that you can find in politics would be helpful for you to learn how campaigns work. This will also help you meet people in the field and could provide a great networking opportunity. Best of luck!
Stacy’s Answer
I've served as a congressional campaign manager and political consultant. It is a great opportunity to learn a lot of different skills in a short amount of time. Additionally, you have a great deal of responsibility and can prove yourself at a young age. However, it is not for the faint of heart.
In additional to the lack of work-life balance, it is also difficult to excel at every project that must be done when the nature of campaigns is ever-changing. You to learn to be flexible and prioritize, and trust your staff even when they are often not working in the same office as you. You also have to be comfortable with a lot of factors being out of your control, and learn to focus on what you can control while anticipating changes in what you can control and how it will shape the overall campaign.
I hope this is helpful to you and others!
Stacy