High School

During high school, you should take government, history, math, computer science, and business classes. English, speech, and foreign language classes will help you hone your oral and written communication skills.

Postsecondary Training

You can volunteer on a campaign, or even manage one, without any college education. Because the level of work consists of making calls and stuffing envelopes, you will not need much training outside of the specifics of how to use the campaign office machines. But to manage even one aspect of a large campaign, and to work as a campaign or field director for such organizations as the Democratic or Republican National Committees or the state party affiliates of the Democratic Party or Republican Party, or a smaller political party such as the Green Party or the Libertarian Party, you will need a good, four-year college education. You should major in political science, journalism, economics, history, or some other undergraduate program that includes course work in English composition, government, and math. The school you attend, especially if it is a local one, could be important, as well—politics is all about local connections.

Certification or Licensing

There are no certification or licensing requirements for campaign workers.

Although campaign workers need no formal experience to do their job, they bring a wealth of informal learning experiences and street knowledge to their job, including a grassroots interest in politics and current affairs. Campaign workers may have begun their interest in politics by playing a role in student government or a neighborhood civic organization. They may have witnessed, or even played a part in a political campaign that brought real change to their neighborhood. In short, they became "political junkies." Such individuals usually bring to their calling a skill set that includes speaking, listening, and writing ability; the ability to be aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react the way they do; and the ability to identify complex problems and find solutions after reviewing costs and benefits of each alternative answer. In their personalities, they tend to be outgoing in public, creative in finding solutions to problems, reliable, able to meet deadlines, open to change, tolerant of stress, and able to keep emotions in check.