Guide: How To Make A Political Campaign Manager Resume

Updated 22 August 2023

Political campaign managers collaborate with political candidates to devise a campaign plan and create persuasive messages to deliver to voters. They utilise their many skills, like delegation and communication, to raise campaign funds and manage volunteers. Learning how to write a resume for the position of political campaign manager can help you highlight your skills and professional experience effectively to hiring organisations. In this article, we define a political campaign manager resume, outline the steps for writing one, share a template and example resume and list some important skills for these professionals.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are associated with Indeed.

What Is A Political Campaign Manager Resume?

A political campaign manager resume is a document through which professionals show their strengths and abilities to work with a political candidate, develop policy positions for them and build relationships with supporters and potential voters. With the help of their skill set, they supervise routine operations of a political campaign, create and implement campaign strategies and align the various activities with the campaign budget. An effective resume of these professionals focuses on their adaptable response to change and how effectively they educate the public about the achievements and visions of candidates.

A comprehensive resume includes a variety of competencies a political campaign manager possesses, like organisation, communication, negotiation and creative thinking. To create an effective resume for this position, mention in the document your ability to promote events, advertise candidates, plan logistics and organise staff members. Mentioning these abilities in your resume increases the likelihood of creating a positive impression on recruiters.

How To Write A Political Campaign Manager Resume?

Here are some steps you may review to write an effective resume for the position of political campaign manager:

1. Mention your contact information

On the top left corner of your resume, write your full name in bold and mention your contact information below it. These details include your phone number and email address. When you write these details on your resume, it becomes easier for hiring organisations to contact you. You may also include a link to your portfolio in this section to show your previous campaign management experience, along with a website if you have one and links to your professional networking profiles.

2. Write a professional summary

After including your contact information in the resume, write a professional summary that augments your experience and describes your career goals. This statement usually has two to three sentences that summarise your professional achievements, mention important skills and briefly show your notable qualifications relevant to the job. For instance, you may write that you have been working with political candidates and researchers for over a decade and possess excellent industry exposure.

3. List your experiences

List your experiences to create a comprehensive work experience section for your resume. This helps recruiting organisations to better understand your professional accomplishments. Mention the job title, name of the employer and the duration of your employment. Underneath these details, write your job duties in three to five bullet points. Use action verbs to describe these duties, like organise, coordinate and develop. For this position, mention roles where you have worked with political parties and collaborated with political survey and research departments. Mention specific and measurable examples to quantify your achievements.

4. Mention the relevant skills you possess

Add a skills section to your resume, as this helps you to define your skills and abilities. Mention the skills that apply to the job description in your resume. This makes the document more customised and lucid. Use this section to mention your soft and hard skills. Soft skills help you to highlight the various aspects of your personality. These attributes are intangible, which you develop with time. Coordination, time management, motivation and problem-solving are some examples of soft skills.

An impressive resume also includes keywords in the skills section. Employers mention these keywords in job descriptions, as this helps them to convey to candidates the requirements of the position. When you include the keywords, you are more likely to convince hiring managers of your suitability for a position in their organisation. For instance, if a recruiter has mentioned the word leadership several times in the job description, then mentioning examples that apply to the keyword increases your chances of getting shortlisted.

5. Include educational qualifications, certifications and awards

After listing your skills on the resume, briefly mention your notable educational qualifications. List the most recent education and write the name of the programme, the name of the institution from where you pursued the course and the date of graduation. If you have certifications, awards or licences, include them in the document. This helps the recruiters to better understand the aptitude and proficiencies you possess that may make you efficient in the role. Consider creating a separate section below the education section to mention these credentials.

6. Proofread your resume

Once you have written everything in the document, proofread it to find and fix errors, as this helps you to create an impressive resume. With this step, you remove typographical errors and spelling and grammar mistakes. Read aloud the document to verify if the information is accurate and does not contain repetitive information. You may also ask a friend or a family member to read the document and request their feedback. Implement the corrections and suggestions to improve the effectiveness of the resume.

Resume Template For A Political Campaign Manager Position

Below is a resume template for a political campaign manager position:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City], [State]

Professional Summary

[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications, and achievements as a professional.]

Work Experience

(For the most recent role, list five experience items. For previous roles, list three.)

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

Skills

Option 1

Option 2

Education

[Degree and major]
[Name of school or university], Graduation date

Optional

[Certification name], [Host organisation] - [Year completed or expiration date]

Sample Resume For A Political Campaign Manager

Here is an example you may review to create a resume for the position of political campaign manager:

Deepak Jaidka

9900009966 | deepak.jaidka@email.com | New Delhi, Delhi

Professional Summary

A self-motivated and forward-thinking individual with eight years of campaign management experience, along with ten years of political research experience. Adept at creating strategies and aligning campaigns with budgets. Determined to employ leadership and problem-solving skills to enhance the efficiency of campaign management processes of an organisation.

Work Experience

Political Campaign Manager and Fundraiser | February 2019-April 2022
State Prosperity Party | New Delhi, Delhi

Created campaign plans for the candidate and coordinated fundraisers
Developed and implemented the strategies to accomplish campaign plans
Analysed and utilised polls to gather public opinion about the candidate
Developed and monitored campaign budgets and other resources
Organised interviews and public appearances for the candidate

Deputy Campaign Manager | January 2017-January 2019
All India Public Interest Party | New Delhi, Delhi

Recruited and mobilised campaign staff and volunteers
Communicated with supporters and potential voters
Wrote and reviewed the speeches of the candidate

Field Organiser | January 2014-December 2016
North India Development Front | New Delhi, Delhi

Registered grievances of party members and volunteers
Recruited, organised and trained over a 100 volunteers
Interpreted data to support the decision-making process

Skills

Education

Bachelor of Arts in political science
The State University of Politics and Research

Common Political Campaign Manager Skills

Here is a list of some common political campaign manager skills you may include in your resume:

Organisational leadership skills

Organisational leadership skills are the abilities of a professional to direct the activities of an organisation. These skills enable political campaign managers to resolve internal and external issues, maintain a dedicated workforce and guide the political organisation towards its goals. With their achievement-oriented leadership, these professionals define goals for staff and volunteers, ensuring that they possess the skills required to achieve the goals.

Time management skills

Political campaign managers have a busy schedule, as they oversee several campaign operations simultaneously. When these professionals possess time management skills, they are able to prioritise work and accomplish tasks within deadlines. They realise the importance of managing their time well and are proficient in setting goals and managing stress. These professionals are also proficient in maintaining calendars and to-do lists.

Creative thinking

Political campaign managers think creatively to carry out various tasks, like developing effective campaigns and educating the public on their candidate's views. These skills enable political campaign managers to view situations from different perspectives. They stay open-minded to find solutions to complex problems. By utilising these skills, they present novel ideas, interpret challenging situations and identify bottlenecks.

Problem-solving skills

Political campaign managers' problem-solving skills include making observations and informed decisions that align with the resources and capabilities of a party. These skills equip them with the ability to analyse the scope of a problem, find an optimal solution to that problem and devise ways to implement that solution. They also realise the significance of measuring the success of solutions, as this helps them to modify strategies accordingly and improve the efficiency of campaigns.