Guest Post: How to leave campaign work

by Eric Johnson

I am happy to share this article with you as part of of our guest post series!

Eric C. Johnson is the author of “The Road to Political Victory” (available on Amazon), and the creator of the All Things Veterans Substack.

All Things Veterans

Devoted to our veteran and military community!

By Eric C. Johnson

In addition to his years of service in the Marine Corps as a Machine Gunner, Eric has worked in government and political outreach since 2008. He currently serves on the legislative team at The American Legion in Washington, D.C.

As we approach November 6^th (the day AFTER the longest day of the political year), some of you may be thinking that a career switch could be in the cards. 

Don’t get me wrong. I miss the crazy long hours and high stress while surviving off Snicker bars and Red Bull for days on end (with the occasional slice of leftover cold pizza). Short of being in combat, there are few places to get such a feeling as during GOTV on the campaign trail – especially when you are the campaign manager, and it will come down to the wire. 

But one day you wake up and realize that maybe you would enjoy a traditional 9-5, where Saturdays aren’t for doors but for yard work and taking the kids to the park. (I know, heresy, right?!)

So how can you position yourself for a fresh start? You could go the expected route and join a winning candidate on their staff in the capitol. I served three years as a chief of staff in the Virginia House of Delegates. You might become a political consultant on down ballot races. I have done that, as have many of my friends. Or you might go to work for a political firm that does media and strategy, handling 3-5 clients at a time and selling them products aimed at a successful Election Day. 

But what OTHER options do you have? 

Let’s break down the skill sets you have. Assuming you were a hands-on campaign staffer in a decently managed and funded race, you have done a lot of things! Communications, Event Planning, Fundraising, Staff Leadership, Public Speaking and Training, Strategic Planning, Political Analysis, Data Entry, Social Media and Website Development… the list goes on! And these skills are in demand – especially when you can show that you have performed them in a high-stakes environment. 

My first suggestion would be to figure out what you want to do. Maybe you are a veteran like me and want to focus on helping other veterans. Perhaps you prefer to stay in a political environment that aligns with your values and find a right-of-center non-profit. You could want to learn business and focus on something like a chamber of commerce or trade association (I have done both). Or you could chase the Benjamins and seek whatever corporation will pay you the most. No shame in any of these options. 

Once you have decided on a general course of action and know what you will and won’t accept, you must start looking. There is no shortage of jobs out there, especially if you are willing to work in the DC area. The hard part is always breaking through the noise and making the case as to why you are the best candidate. 

So, focus on those skills! Update your LinkedIn (I am a HUGE believer in making effective use of LinkedIn – find me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericcharlesjohnson/) and build out a resume that is focused on the type of job you want. A job posting that I was looking at last night had a lengthy job description, but I realized their list of duties and requirements fell into three main categories – Fundraising, Event Planning, and Communications. If you are applying, focus on how you worked in those areas, and place less emphasis on the fact that you are the president of your running club or knocked 32,000 doors last cycle. 

Learn how to craft an appropriate resume, especially if you are shifting jobs or going into a niche field. If you are applying for a job on Capitol Hill in Washington, a one-page resume is a firm rule. Suck it up and start editing! Most other places will accept up to two pages, if you have sufficient reason for it. If you have been in the job market for less than 10 years, stick to one page. 

I recently received a three-page resume that was much closer to a jumble of thoughts than a well-formatted resume. The candidate had worked for the same company for 30 years, and this was likely his first time creating a resume since high school! So, I can understand the struggle. But hey, they invented Google for a reason – USE IT! Learn how to properly format a resume. Less focus on being cute and creative, and more focus on easy-to-read information highlighting your skills and experience. 

If you have your resume ready and LinkedIn updated, start to apply! And while applying, work your network. Let your friends, family, and former coworkers that you are seeking a new position. Be as specific as possible so they can help you. You don’t want them JUST feeding you job application links, but also contacts and the names of their friends who are hiring managers at the type of organizations you want to work for. 

Your network will play a huge role in your successful job hunt. As I sit here and think back over the course of my career, I can identify 13 different jobs that I received as a direct result of my network. Very rarely have I landed a job where I DIDN’T have an inside connection or a friend that pulled strings for me. In this business (as in most), it isn’t what you know but who you know. 

Those are my random thoughts on a chilly October morning. Identify your skills, prepare your advertisements (resume and LinkedIn), and work your network. And be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you are not likely to land a job in a day either. Be systematic, track your data, and work the plan. If you can survive the 2024 campaign cycle, you can survive anything. Good luck! 

I hope you enjoyed this guest post from Eric Johnson! Once a month, I plan to have conservative professionals share insights from their careers. You can read the article from last month here.