So a friend of mine, well, really he's a friend of my brother's but my brother and I work together and he works with us too and the family has known him forever so, yeah I'd call him a friend too, anyway, he just got a job running *Edited* reelection campaign for November (he's a local Congressman on Ways and Means). He'll be his campaign manager, but he'll also be playing a big local role in the eventual Democratic nominee's Michigan campaign, and he'll more or less be in charge of organizing for the entire district when the time comes.
Knowing that I'm really involved in politics, he said he's looking for full time people to work for him as organizers. How it works as I understand it, is that I'd more or less be given a city or an area of some sort, and it'd be my territory to organize, knock on doors, do rallys, etc. for the campaigns.
My brother is really pushing me to do it, but it'd mean quitting my job since this would be a full time position. I like my job (mostly), it pays well, it has extremely flexible hours, and I'll need that come the Fall when I'm finally back in school. Besides, much as I do like politics, and I do plan some day to run of some sort of office, it's not something I was planning on doing yet, especially a position I really have no experience to do. But it would get my contacts and experience that I could use someday if I did want to run.
So that's my dilemma. It'd really only be until November. My gut instinct is to stay where I'm at and wait until I'm ready, though my more adventurous side is pushing and saying "go for it!"
What would you guys do?
[ April 15, 2008, 04:38 PM: Message edited by: Lyrhawn ]
Posted by anti_maven (Member # 9789) on :
Go for it. You should have no problems picking up something else in November, a chap of your obvious calibre and all.
It might lead to other things and the greatest boon will be te networking possibilities.
Good luck and all the very best!
Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
quote:My gut instinct is to stay where I'm at and wait until I'm ready, though my more adventurous side is pushing and saying "go for it!"
When I was in college, I was an area organizer on Sen. Boxer's campaign. I say you do it. There is no time like the present to gain experience. There are always going to be costs, and this time, your cost is current your job. It seems the hard decisions start now. Let's see that judgement in action.
Posted by HollowEarth (Member # 2586) on :
You could try talking to your current boss about resuming your position in the fall. I don't know what you do, but taking a leave of absence may be a possibility.
Posted by orlox (Member # 2392) on :
This is a good time, Lyrhawn.
I grew up in politics, in a political family. So I don't recommend it generally. But if this is something you want to do, now would be an excellent time to launch a career.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
If you do it it will look much better on all types of resumes than working at a restaurant.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
Take it.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Talk to your boss about you coming back to work once the campaign is done -- if you're as valuable to them as you've said you are they should be happy to have you back.
Posted by orlox (Member # 2392) on :
So whatcha gonna do?
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
Do it!
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Speak to SanderLevin directly. If ya can't, he's a waste of your time. If a meeting is granted, tell him you'll accept after he publicly endorses Obama. If he won't, he's a waste of your time. And he won't. He's one of those who rigged the Michigan primary.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
My friend, the one who offered me the job, said that, though his paycheck comes from *Edited*, come the summer he's really working on the presidential campaign regardless of who the candidate is. The candidate WILL be Obama though, I think that's a foregone conclusion at this point, barring what would amount to a coup d'etat of the party leadership from Clinton, so that's what he'll be doing.
Orlox -
To answer, I haven't decided yet. He asked me again today at work (it was his last day). But he told me that I'd have to take the Fall semester off of school in addition to leaving my job for a few months. The work thing I might have been able to get around, but, I'm FINALLY getting my schooling back on track to where I want it, and taking a semester off when I'm on the verge of, for the first time in a year, not really having a huge weight on my mind, seems counterproductive.
I think instead of being a full time campaign worker I'm going to go to school, drastically cut back my work schedule in the Fall, and just volunteer whereever he needs me in the campaign. Much as I want to do this, there's just too many little pieces in my life that are finally falling into place for me to swipe them all aside.
But I haven't made a final decision yet. I'll probably talk to him a couple more times before I say no, or yes. I guess I haven't really made a final decision yet, I still need to think about it some more.
[ April 15, 2008, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: Lyrhawn ]
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Well, whereas before I was leaning towards not doing this, I'm now leaning towards doing it.
It's going to depend on some stuff. I'm going to email my friend back (he emailed me the offer again a couple days ago) and tell him that I'll do the internship, but, to do the full time job I'm not going to take a semester off school, but I'll do half time enrollment and take two night classes a week. That would leave plenty of time to do a full time job on the campaign and not miss school. I can work something out at my current job one way or the other, that won't be a big deal.
And then I'll just see what he says, and see what the job is about more specifically.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
In case anyone is at all interested in the progress with this...
My friend emailed me back and told me he might be able to work something out so I can go to school part time next semester, and he told me to come into the campaign office next week so he can tell me about the position he has in mind for me.
I'm not so worried about the job I have now. I still might work a shift a week on the weekends, just to keep in the swing of things, but, so long as I give them enough warning and they have time to hire someone else and for me to train them, they probably won't complain much. People leave and come back all the time, and it's a lot easier to come back when you know as many positions as I do.
So whereas two weeks ago I was on the verge of saying no, now it looks like I might be getting involved with this. It's both exciting and a little scary.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
That's great news! I hope everyting will work out well for you.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Cool....it sounds like a good chance to dip your feet in politics to find out if it is what you really want to do.
Good luck!
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
My friend Trevor has worked a number of state and local campaigns over the years, and he says it's very high-stress. He said it's also hard to eat right, because there's so little time. On the plus side, he says you pack several years' worth of on-the-job experience into a few months. The networking opportunities are incomparable, you are definitely meeting the right people if politics is what you want to continue to do.