Working a political campaign is an experience that can't be paralleled by any other. It's unique, rewarding, and perhaps most of all, difficult.

1. Kelley Minars, Flickr
6 Things You Should Know
About Working on an Election
Lionel Barzon III

2. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Lionel Barzon III
Running a political campaign is
far from an easy task--winning
one is even harder. Here are six
things you should know if you
want to get a job on a political
campaign.

3. Kelley Minars, Flickr
You Should Volunteer
Before Taking a Full-Time Job
Lionel Barzon III

4. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Lionel Barzon III
Running a political campaign is unlike anything I have
experienced before compared to my retail and service
positions I’ve held in the past.
Having been a part of various levels of political campaigns
during my college career, I have experienced first-hand the ins
and outs of running a campaign.
The only way to really get a good understanding of how to
build, establish and run a political campaign is to experience it,
and the best way to experience it is to volunteer.
A job seeker who has a background volunteering in political
campaigns bodes well for a future in public service at almost
any level.

5. Kelley Minars, Flickr
You CAN (and WILL)
Have a Real Impact
Lionel Barzon III

6. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Lionel Barzon III
During my political campaign experience, I saw the potential in
what I was doing to make a real difference in the communities I
lived in.
I was tasked with managing small teams of interns and volunteers
and guiding them in doing the bulk of the groundwork for local
campaigns.
I had a hands-on job within the political field, directly aiding
politicians at canvassing events, rallies and speaking
engagements and helping to raise funds for the campaign.
All of these facets of the positions I held benefited both my
personal and professional development in tremendous ways as
well as the campaigns of the politicians with whom I was
involved.

7. Kelley Minars, Flickr
There Will be Long Hours
And It Isn't Uncommon
Lionel Barzon III

8. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Lionel Barzon III
More often than not, working long hours is a necessity of working
in politics.
This goes for everyone--from the campaign managers and other
higher-ups all the way down.
For many, this is an unfortunate fact, but for those of us who love
being around politics, spending a lot of time at work can be
energizing and an enjoyable experience.
At one point during the final days leading up to our campaign’s
elections day, I was working between 60 to 80 hours a week!
Expect long hours and abbreviated sleep schedules if you choose
to work full-time on a
political campaign.

9. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Teamwork is Pivitol
And You'll Need to Learn It
Lionel Barzon III

10. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Lionel Barzon III
This should be obvious, but teamwork is key in political
campaigning.
The entire campaign team is united under a common cause: to
seek and gain election for your politician.
Managers and staffers and volunteers need to coordinate, put
aside differences and strive for success.
When the volunteers, staff, and candidate work and
communicate on the same level to achieve the same goal of an
election victory, unparalleled progress and benchmarks are
obtained because of the team’s unity and cooperation.

11. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Don't Be a Sore Loser
At Some Point, You'll Lose
Lionel Barzon III

12. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Lionel Barzon III
Working in political campaigning means you’re not just working
for one specific politician year after year or election after
election.
More often than not you’ll find yourself working for various
politicians.
As we’ve seen in virtually every election since the dawn of time,
there are winners and there are losers.
The key in experiencing a losing campaign is to make sure you
learn from your shortcomings and areas of weakness, and learn
how to operate in a more efficient and cohesive manner on the
next campaign you work with.

13. Kelley Minars, Flickr
You'll Get an Incredible Experience
It'll be Unique and Unexplainable
Lionel Barzon III

14. Kelley Minars, Flickr
Lionel Barzon III
Working for a politician seeking election gave me a deeper
understanding of what goes into the administration side of
running a campaign.
The experience was almost indescribable; as I’ve mentioned
before, there is a methodology and means of running a campaign
that you never truly understand until you experience it yourself.
And I highly encourage everyone to do so.
The skill set you’ll build and develop for yourself in the process is
truly worth the time and effort you will pour into the campaign.