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Job seekers find professional development
on campaign trail

Volunteering for a candidate a chance to make key contacts,
boost a résumé

By Etelka Lehoczky, Globe Correspondent, 2/8/04

Globe Staff Photo/Pat Greenhouse David Howard, a student at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, leveraged an internship with the Massachusetts Democratic Party into a paid position as an administrative assistant.

Hunting for a job? Then consider hitting the campaign trail.

Political campaigns offer plenty of opportunities for professional development, say specialists. And in a presidential election year, job hunters who volunteer for a candidate have a unique opportunity to beef up a resume, grow a network, or make some influential professional contacts.

The experience also provides a great talking point during job interviews, say campaign workers.

''They usually step into it gingerly, but it does become a favorable conversation once it gets going,'' says Milton resident Lovie Elam, 40, who volunteers for the presidential campaign of US Senator John F. Kerry, the Democratic front-runner. ''It kind of breaks the ice in the conversation.''

Elam, who worked as a corporate trainer for a financial services firm until she was laid off two months ago, has volunteered for several political candidates over the years. She says campaigns offer the opportunity to use a wide variety of skills. At the Kerry campaign she has helped to recruit volunteers, telephoned potential donors, and done occasional graphic design work.

''Step up to the plate and show people what you can do. Volunteer doing whatever you are best at,'' she says.

While the benefits may be greatest for those in fields related to public policy, recruitment executives say campaign work will impress hiring managers in many fields.

''Progressing through a campaign to areas of responsibility shows lots of management aptitude,'' says George Davis, managing partner of the Boston office of the recruiting firm of Egon Zehnder International. ''If you go from holding a placard to organizing others in the campaign, that's really something.''

However, it's no coincidence that recent college grads can be found working the phones and keyboards in political offices everywhere. Politics provide the perfect way for a new grad to get his or her feet wet, learn office skills, and demonstrate responsibility.

''The thing I love is that I'm so hands-on with everything. You get a lot of experience,'' said David Howard, a student at the University of Massachusetts at Boston who leveraged his 2003 internship with the Massachusetts Democratic Party into a paid position. ''It's a great way to meet people and network.''

Time spent on a campaign can provide resume-worthy experience in any number of professions. In sales or marketing? There are fund-raising calls to be made and a contact database to be managed. Is public relations your field? There are press releases and position papers to be researched, drafted, and edited. Even a computer programmer can put his or her skills to use by helping to set up a campaign's software.

''I definitely feel like my political experience helped me prepare for what I'm doing now,'' says Boston native Carolyn Denny. After volunteering for both Kerry and former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger while attending Vanderbilt University, she is now enrolled in business school there.

''There is a lot of organization and communication required in both politics and business. Sometimes in interviews I have had to specifically explain how my political experience translates to the business world, but it isn't hard to make the connection,'' she said.

College students and recent graduates can probably profit the most from a campaign's career-building opportunities, but the benefits can also extend to professionals who are already well-established in their fields.

''You can make wonderful contacts in both the business community and the civic community,'' recruiter Davis says. ''A lot of volunteer work involves donation and gathering money, so the power elite is usually in the room.''

When it comes to working with powerful movers and shakers, campaign work provides a natural affinity.

''Many people cross over from business to government and government to business,'' says Davis.

If you put in time with a campaign, it's crucial to structure your work to get the maximum professional benefit from it. Although you may have to put in time stuffing envelopes or distributing leaflets, you'll need to move beyond such entry-level tasks for the experience to translate into career advancement.

''Handing out placards is not going to do it,'' Davis says.

To get the chance to do interesting, resume-building work, be aggressive in seeking it. When speaking with a volunteer coordinator, don't be shy about specifying the types of work you want to do and inquiring about prospects for advancement.

''If you say to the campaign manager or volunteer coordinator, 'I have some background in donor relations,' most campaigns are really excited to have someone who's willing to take on responsibility and take some of the load off the staff,'' says Jesse Mermel, a Brookline resident who volunteers as the chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party's committee on youth services.

One way to get to work on more challenging projects is to volunteer at the same time every week.

''If your schedule allows you to volunteer somewhere on a regular basis, a lot of times they'll give you ownership'' of a project, Mermel says. ''You can say, 'I'm really interested in communications. I'd like to help out with that.' I've seen interns get involved really deeply in projects like planning the annual convention. They have a lot of responsibility.''

As with every other aspect of politics, it's important to pick a winner. When a candidate is on a roll, the opportunities to encounter influential people skyrocket.

''As a volunteer, you are behind the scenes, and when you first start out you are seen, never heard. But your networking world expands every day,'' says Jane Lane, director of communications for the Massachusetts Democratic Party. ''If you're on an unsuccessful campaign, the people you see walking in and out - the movers and shakers - you will see them to a smaller degree. They don't want to be associated with a losing effort.''

Because of such factors, there's no guarantee that campaigning will necessarily reap high-quality contacts. So if you don't have a genuine interest in the candidate, it is probably best to choose another way to advance your career.

And networking a political event is not the same as working the room at an industry convention or other business-centered gathering. While it can offer plenty of opportunities to interact with important people, it's not the place to overtly pursue professional goals.

''Try to make a personal relationship first, not a business relationship,'' Davis says. ''Don't hand your business card out. Make a personal connection first and then follow up.''

Etelka Lehoczky is a freelance writer.

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