A political campaign is an organized effort to elect candidates to public office, pass ballot initiatives (such as constitutional amendments or legislative referenda), or otherwise influence the policymaking process. Most campaigns are staffed by paid staffers to manage project and budget management, fundraising, volunteer organizing, and voter engagement programs. A general consultant or campaign manager typically handles the first set of responsibilities, while finance directors or call time managers generally handle the second set.

A large part of a campaign’s staff, particularly on presidential campaigns, is comprised of field organizers. These are often recent college graduates or young professionals starting their career in politics, who work out in the field with supporters, managing volunteer recruitment and outreach, and collecting data in their assigned geographic territories. Many campaigns rely on this team to make calls, send mailers, and register voters.

Other paid staffers, especially those in higher-level positions, may handle strategic decision-making and administrative oversight. For example, the communications director or digital strategist develops and implements communications strategies for social media, email, or website content, while a finance director manages budgets and financial records.

Campaign experience is important for those who want to pursue a policy- or law-oriented career, or who wish to run for office themselves in the future. Partisanship is a big factor in this industry: most opportunities are partisan, and switching parties incurs reputational costs that increase the longer you’ve been with one. For this reason, it’s best to focus on a race you support, whether at the local, state, or national level.