Shortcuts to Becoming A Campaign Manager
Wednesday
Sep 16, 2009
If your ultimate goal is to become a campaign manager or consultant, you may be frustrated with the strategy of working your way up the volunteer ladder to more important positions in political campaigns. Unlike many occupations, political work is quite seasonal. Depending on the election calendar in your particular area, you may find very little happening politically in the “off” election years. It could take a few election cycles and several years for you to reach your goal.
If you are looking for shortcuts, there are a couple of strategies I have seen work. Either of these strategies will be much more likely to be effective if you take every opportunity you have to learn more about campaigns. Closely observe other campaigns, read everything you can on advertising and attend any training sessions that are available to you.
The first shortcut is to sign on to manage the campaign of a respectable candidate who isn’t expected to win. This may be a candidate from your political party who is running in a district where the other party has a strong registration advantage. Your candidate won’t be able to raise a lot of money, but he will need help with the campaign. You can get hands-on experience in running a campaign and make good contacts. You may also have opportunities to attend seminars and conferences put on by your party that are only open to party nominees and their staff. And, of course, you will be able to list “Campaign Manager” on your political resumé. You won’t make money running this kind of campaign, but it does provide a great cheap education.
The other possible shortcut is to run for office yourself. You won’t have specific experience as a Campaign Manager, but you will learn a lot about campaigning. If your party has difficulty getting someone to run in a difficult district and you are willing to take on the challenge, you may also make some friends in the party hierarchy. Just be realistic about your chances and don’t expect much financial help from the party. You can make a strong positive impression in the political community and also have the same opportunities for making contacts and getting training as a campaign manager would have. You will meet a lot of people who are very involved in politics as volunteers, donors and political professionals. Many of these people may either become candidates themselves or have significant input into the hiring decisions of other candidates. If you handle it well, a hopeless candidacy can lead to a number of different political job opportunities.
