What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politics

Government, and all the industries (read: lobbying, policy analysis, more lobbying) that come with that, have begun to encompass an ever-greater presence in the day-to-day affairs of Americans. You can't help but see what political drama is going on when you turn on the 24 hour news networks. Especially in today's day and age, the policy that is set forth by our state and federal lawmakers has a great amount of potential to affect just about any facet of you or my life. Another thing that is especially true about today's political climate is the level of cynicism that accompanies the public at large. You don't see Republicans and Democrats: You see crooks and cowards (not that one party monopolizes either trait). And honestly, I can't blame you.

But yet, you still want to get involved. Maybe you had some great government teacher in high school or college, or maybe you have heard a politician that you can finally get behind. Or it could simply be that you have become passionate about one particular issue, and want to work to see some change. Well before I go any further, good for you. After all, Plato once wrote, "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

However, no matter what party or idea you commit to, you will run into some aspects of this line of work that will discourage you. Some of you may even decide government and politics is not for you. This is especially true of our generation, because while the market can change in a heartbeat, the gears of bureaucracy grind ever so slowly. But now that I've nearly scared you away, there are some advantages too, aspects that will either let you get ahead, or enjoy it even more than working at the donut shop*. Let me go into more detail below.

Problem: If you have little experience, you will be considered a grunt

I understand that you have spent the past four years doing nothing but writing reports on the economic and sociopolitical predicaments of the lower class urban voter, but most likely, you will still be shuffling papers or helping work call nights for the beginning. On top of this, you will probably be given more of these tasks to complete than physically possible. No matter what, don't give up. Most of the time, campaign organizers or policy directors give the new guy/girl crap in efforts to send you packing. The reality is that the workload changes dramatically over the span of a year. For example, if you are involved with a campaign, the week before the election you will be lucky to get a few hours of sleep a night. If, on the other hand, you are a policy analyst, you may be working with your group at all hours during the general assembly, who has just decided to hear your pet bill two days from now. They need to know they can rely on you in these clutch moments, and the best way to do so is to separate the wheat from the chaff at the start.

Advantage: Most campaigns and policy groups are perpetually behind the times

While this sounds like a problem, this is actually a prime opportunity for you to grow in reputation with whatever group you are with. Unless you are working on a technological policy, chances are whatever models and systems they have in place are outdated. What I mean by this is that I've seen some lobbying groups (none that I worked for) that still maintained sprawling word folders for their work on bills and opinions thereof and so forth. They explained to me that they needed a method for any member of the team to easily access the documents, and alter them without having to comprise all of the different sections into one file. When I showed them the potential that a Wiki brought to their problem, it was like showing a caveman fire. Another example would be the recent propagation of candidate pages on all of the social networking websites. They only started doing that after large facebook groups were made, or someone new to their campaign showed them the power of a free way to appeal to younger voters. There is so much we take for granted, having grown up with it, that the older generations aren't aware of. Harness that.

Problem: Your little ship of idealism will be battered against the icy crags of reality

You will have worked on a campaign for a real everyman, who was going to bring the power back to the people. Or you will have worked for 8 months, crafting a bill the appeals to a majority of the legislators, while still helping solve the problem you actually had. In this moment, your sense of dedication to the cause and pride in your own efforts is pretty much at its apex. That is precisely when a grumpy old guy that disagrees with you for whatever reason (maybe he is just having a bad day) throws a rider onto your bill that causes everyone to vote against it. Or going back to the first example, your opponent comes out with an extremely negative (and technically untrue) ad that completely sways public opinion against you. In short, you lose. While this type of thing happens in many lines of work, it is especially common, and especially downing, in government. The important thing to take from this is that you need to come back next year with greater support. Whatever you do, don't let it poison your drive or love for the system. You will run into many a 40-year old nonprofit advocate who is jaded about his job. These people suck happiness out of a room faster than how quickly OJ's recent robbery plan went to pieces. You need to stay strong, because that bill, or that type of candidate, still needs your help. A politician or opposing lobbyist can kill a bill. They can ruin a candidate. Those are simple things to do, honestly. What they can never touch is the IDEA those bills and candidates represent. No matter the opposition, it is your job to bring them into positions where they can do the most good. Even if it means submitting a bill six years in a row. Your idea will outlast any person, and that is its greatest strength.

On that note I leave you, dear reader, until a few days from now when I wrap this up. If you've enjoyed the read, or have any questions, please email me at the link at the top of the right column. And especially if you have any requests for subject matter, let me know, and I'll either answer it myself or interview someone who can.

*If it is a really good donut shop, I can't guarantee this fact to be true. I mean, if you're allowed to eat a blueberry fritter that is just out of the oven, blueberries picked only yesterday, the kind of thing that melts in your mouth… Why aren't you working there right this second?

Leave your thoughts here. (10 responses)

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Kelvin

Sep 26th, 2007 at 11:00 pm

I guess the problem with the public's perception of politics, no matter where you are in the world, is that it is governed by cronyism, lies and more than just a little self-interest on the part of the politicians themselves. So it's hard to get excited about the possibility of working in the political world on the part of the millenials. Heck, campus politics is often very bloody already, what more the real world? (take it from me, I know. I got burned real bad). I gotta hand it to you Joe for being more than willing to jump into this very difficult and painfully bloody world.

But I do agree with his tips on how to survive. Both of them can even be applied to Law school. Anyway, good luck to you Joe, and I hope that you will never get knocked about by the cynicism you were just talking about.

Jacqui

Sep 27th, 2007 at 8:35 am

That may be the perception of a lot of cynical people, and who can blame them, but the truth is there are lots of good people in politics who are working very hard to do what they honestly think is right.

If you want to get involved in politics, though, know that it's an incredibly competitive industry, that you can't take anything personally, and you have to watch your back. I had people try to ruin my career before it began, and in several years of working in politics, I can say that there are two or three people that I would honestly consider friends, or even people I can trust.

But, if you've got the bug, there's nothing you can do. Always keep your eyes open, learn everything you can, and even when you're working 80 hour weeks, you'll be the happiest you've ever been.

Hejack.Com » What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politics

Sep 27th, 2007 at 10:01 am

[...] wrote an interesting post today on What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politicsHere's a quick [...]

Ask a Manager

Sep 27th, 2007 at 6:06 pm

Great post. I manage a political organization, and I can attest that every word you write here is true. If you prove yourself doing the grunt work though, you will be quickly be identified as someone reliable, competent, and hard-working, and the opportunities will start coming your way. You just need some patience in that first job.

Joe

Sep 27th, 2007 at 7:04 pm

Thank you all for taking the extra time to leave the supportive comments for other readers. As an aside, I think there may have been a technical error in the posting, because the way it loads on my screen it ends halfway into a sentence. I've already sent an email to Ryan to see if he can fix it (once it is posted, I can no longer edit it).

Kelvin: The cronyism is definitely there, but if you take the time to look, you can't help but find people that seem honestly interested in the public good. While they may be in the minority at times, the effect of government is undeniable, so at least in my mind it is an imperative to get these kind of people elected. And in regards to law school, don't even get me started. There is a reason people involved in one typically get into the other.

Jacqui: Your last two sentences sum everything up beautifully. Some people may not understand why anyone would ever want to work in it, but to those who do it, we don't understand how you could ever turn your back permanently on it.

Ask a Manager: Thanks for the support, and very helpful blog.

Greg Palmer » Blog Archive » links for 2007-09-28

Sep 27th, 2007 at 7:39 pm

[...] Employee Evolution – What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politics "In short, you lose. While this type of thing happens in many lines of work, it is especially common, and especially downing, in government." Yeah, that's true. (tags: politics work career) [...]

Kelvin

Sep 30th, 2007 at 8:57 am

Joe — its funny you should mention how people involved in one (law school) typically get into the other (politics). Even here (in the Philippines) the same applies. Most of our politicians are either lawyers or have had some legal training.

And even if it sometimes seems like there are few, if any good people left in politics (especially in my country), the minority can still make a big difference. The problem, more often than not, is getting these people elected.

Good points and thoughts Joe. Btw- quick personal disclosure: am in my final year of law school. ^_^

Employee Evolution - What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politics — Continued

Oct 5th, 2007 at 5:32 am

[...] What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politicsMaking My First Post-College Career DecisionThe New Recruiting Psychographic PersonaFinally! A Relevant Recruiting Technique To Attract Millennial TalentWeekly Wrap-Up, April 13, 2007 [...]

Joe Stanley » My First Two Posts on Employee Evolution

Oct 5th, 2007 at 8:40 pm

[...] the two halves of my quick list of pointers went up over at Employee Evolution. So far, it has been fun. I [...]

www.bestretirementadvisor.info » What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politics

Oct 7th, 2007 at 11:57 am

[...] Joe Stanley wrote a fantastic post today on "What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politics"Here's ONLY a quick extractYou can't help but see what political drama is going on when you turn on the 24 hour news networks. Especially in today's day and age, the policy that is set forth by our state and federal lawmakers has a great amount of potential to … [...]

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