A political campaign is the organized efforts of a candidate for public office to attract support and win votes. Candidates can run for local, state, or federal office. Depending on the level of election, campaigns can be partisan or non-partisan. In the US, there are two main types of partisan elections: primary and general elections. Primary elections are contested by candidates from the same political party competing for a specific nomination, while general elections involve appealing to a broader electorate to win a seat.
The goals of a political campaign are to create a consistent message and promote the candidate in order to increase support and ultimately win an election. To do so, the campaign team works together to develop and execute a plan to achieve specific objectives. Common job functions include a campaign manager, fundraising coordinator, speechwriter, marketing manager, data management and analysis, and volunteer coordinators.
Whether working on a political campaign is right for you depends on your career ambitions and personal circumstances. In addition to assessing the broader policy positions you want to advance, consider how much exposure to partisan politics you want to have and which party, if any, you wish to affiliate with. Partisan affiliation is very important for most campaign jobs, and switching parties may incur reputational and career costs (although these are lower at the early stages of a career).
Although the largely non-substantive nature of most political campaign work doesn’t prepare you well for substantive policy research positions, it can provide valuable experience and build up your professional network. This tool outlines some of the career paths that have developed from campaign work and may help you determine how to use your time on a campaign best.