So You Want to Work in Politics

So you are an undergrad majoring in political science or a recent grad wondering how to launch your career in politics? There is no one hard and fast answer or secret, but here are a few tips and suggestions from someone who has been there, done that and learned the ropes.

The starting point of any career begins with creating a resume. This goes for both recent grads and those still in school. The guidelines for creating a political resume do not particularly differ from that of any other resume. However, some things to be sure to include on your resume are political organizations and associations you belong to, any political-oriented volunteering, and any sales and database experience. The reasoning behind the first two should be obvious. The purpose for including sales experience is that much of politics and campaigns is about persuasion -- persuading voters or legislators to x, y, or z. Database experience is also key because politics and campaigns are all about lists -- and those lists are maintained and updated in a database. If you do not have these kinds of experiences or skills, work on getting them.

You do not have to wait until you graduate to begin your political career. You can gain invaluable experience and make crucial contacts for the future by interning or volunteering on campaigns or for political organizations. Prepare a cover letter and resume and cold send them to campaigns and organizations in your area. People are the greatest political resource and campaigns are always in search of more hands to get everything done. There is nothing like working in an actual campaign office to get a true feel for the reality of the world of politics.

In addition to real world experience, there are classes and trainings that can offer you an educational background in politics and campaigns. For undergrads, look into spending a semester or summer in Washington, DC at The George Washington University or American University. Both offer semester in Washington programs that include campaign courses and internships. For the recent grad, consider enrolling in one of the many campaign trainings. A great one for recent grads with Democratic leanings is Emily's List Campaign Corps. You spend a couple of weeks in DC learning the ropes and then are placed as a staffer on an actual campaign. Also for recent grads and even those who have been out of school for awhile are the Women's Campaign School at Yale University and one-day and online trainings such as those offered by Democracy for America. These types of courses and trainings can offer you the crucial background knowledge to be a successful political staffer.

It is often said that politics is about who you know, and this definitely holds true. Thus, it is to your advantage to spend your undergrad years and the first couple of years out of school lining up a good network of contacts. Join and get active in political organizations and associations, such as the American Association of Political Consultants and WIN (Women's Information Network). The cost of becoming a member with most political-oriented organizations varies according to job level and there is often a low-cost student membership level. Joining these organizations provides you with networking opportunities, job listings, trainings, and so forth.

One of the questions facing many about-to-be graduates is whether to start the job hunt or head to graduate school. If you are headed for a career in politics, grad school may not be the right answer. You must first think about what you want to do in politics. If you want to work directly on campaigns, there is really no need for an advanced degree. However, that is not to say that an advanced degree would not be helpful. The key is realizing that when it comes to working on campaigns, having an advanced degree does not count as experience and will not get you greater pay -- two things that are often true in other fields. If you want to pursue an advanced degree and you envision a political career as that of a campaign staffer, you should look at master's degrees in political management and public administration. Stay away from master's degrees in political science, unless you want to work in a more academic role, such as that of a researcher or a staffer at a think tank. Having an advanced degree is particularly beneficial if you want to work at nonprofit -- which is often where the campaign staffers tired of long days with little pay tend to find themselves. When it comes to nonprofit campaigns and political organizations, there is definitely an educational glass ceiling. If you do not have an advanced degree, there is a limit to how high you can climb the ladder. So before you leap into the job search or the grad school application process, think hard about what you want your political future to hold.

Whether you are a recent grad -- undergrad or graduate -- or a current student looking for an internship or paid summer position, some of the best places to look for political jobs are:

Idealist.org (www.idealist.org/if/as/Job?sid=)
HillZoo.com (http://hillzoo.com/?s=jobs, http://hillzoo.com/?s=offjobs)
RCjobs.com (www.rcjobs.com)
Politics1.com (www.politics1.com/jobs.htm)
PolitixGroup.com (www.politixgroup.com/dcjobs.htm)
PoliticalResources.com (www.politicalresources.com)
PoliticalJobs.net (www.politicaljobs.net)
CampaignJobs.com (www.campaignjobs.com)
DemocraticGAIN.org (www.democraticgain.org)

So craft that resume, make those contacts, and start working your way up the political ladder. The time to start is now.