If you really want to make a difference, becoming a politician could be your calling. Your job will be to change things! Wouldn't that be great? The road won't be easy - and it certainly won't be short - but it might be worth it. Are you ready to leave a mark on the world?
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Part One: Getting Started
Step 1. Go to the University
While really anyone can become a politician (it depends on your idea of a politician), those who really do something important for society and who have managed to turn their commitment into a real career have attended university. They probably studied subjects such as economics, political science or international relations. However, having a degree is always better than having none!
- After graduation, many pursue Masters in law or economics. It's not a necessary requirement, but it's not a bad idea. If you want to be really great, that's a wise choice. In the United States Congress, 68 of the 100 elected officials are lawyers or businessmen. Just for the record.
- Military experience was once also very useful. Not a bad idea; after all, everyone loves their country. But it's becoming less and less common, and if you don't feel the pressure to adjust to the form that most sticks to a President, you don't need to be ashamed to keep your office job.
Step 2. Volunteer
With a volunteer experience on the resume it is difficult for anyone to think that you are not reliable or a good person. Only a sad, lonely person who doesn't like puppies might think such a thing. To get votes, you need to show that you support the right causes, that you want to invest time, and that you care about the community. The fastest way to do it? Volunteering.
You can start by volunteering in a local election campaign, but you may also be promoting your interests outside the political arena. Join nonprofits, help homeless people, get involved in an organization you would support if you were in a position of power. Show the world how moral and determined you are
Step 3. Get closer to a political party
Applying for an anonymous party won't get you much attention (or at least not the right one). If you really want to make a career in politics, you need to join a strong political party. This way you will have support, you will get to know like-minded people to yours, and in some cases, people will think that you are ready to step forward.
Or don't. It is the reason why independent parties exist. However, remember that running with small parties and hoping to be elected is like running up a hill blindfolded, hopping on one foot and carrying a monkey on your back. People like labels and love those they can recognize even more: parties or movements without political affiliation do not fall into this category
Step 4. Engage in other candidates' election campaigns before starting your own
If you're lucky enough to know what you want to do at your age, then a good way to get on with your job is to take part in someone else's campaign. It may be an uninspiring job, but you will get a preview of what you have decided to do in life and you will begin to build your network of contacts, an essential requirement for any political career.
You may find yourself knocking on doors, handing out flyers on the street or leaving them in mailboxes, or stamping letters, but at least you'll do something. When you reach the top, you will be appreciated for making your way through the ranks and people will admire you for being able to work for other people
Step 5. Be active on your territory
If no one knows where you come from, it will be difficult for your potential voters to believe and trust you. So, get active locally. Become the classic person everyone knows. The one that is in the midst of any topic. You have a reputation to build!
A good place to start? The municipal councils. Show up on school boards or council meetings and try to get attention. Be active. Starting at the bottom is the only way you can build a road that points high. Then, go to your party headquarters, ask questions and win a position
Step 6. Try to have a flexible career
Indeed, while many prominent politicians are businessmen or lawyers, local or state politicians have a different story. The municipal representatives can be owners of businesses, teachers, supervisors in companies, in short, anything. Since the policy won't pay you for at least another decade or two, try to find a job anyway - unless you have the opportunity to live ten years without pay.
Flexible work is essential, because there will be times when politics will take over. You will be forced to take an afternoon off for a meeting, a full week for a meeting or six months for your election campaign. The more flexible you are, the more chances you will have of not losing your finances in the long run
Method 2 of 3: Second Part: Enter the fray
Step 1. Passionate about a cause
Few people manage to become politicians simply by thinking it is fun. Even if they want to change the world, they still have a general idea of what needs to be changed. So, before you put your face to it, find something that identifies you. Find something that motivates you. Passionate.
Do the road conditions in your city irritate you? Do you want to prevent the hospital from being moved to a different location? Do you wish there were more green spaces in your neighborhood? Great! You don't have to think about top systems and invent a political theory that replaces the party system. All you need is an idea to guide your agenda and represent the reason for your candidacy in politics
Step 2. Start with your territory
You could go from being an institution representative of your school to becoming a presidential candidate. You just have to aspire to the maximum. If you really want to make it and succeed, then start small. For example, there may be several options:
- School councils
- town Council
- Mayor
- Regional Council
Step 3. Check your financial resources
You have decided that you want to apply. Perhaps to be mayor, or councilor of the region or even a deputy. The bigger your project, the more money you will need to put it into practice. Do you have shock absorbers in case things go wrong? What if your campaign goes wrong and you have to pay your bills out of your own pocket? What if you lose the election and no longer have your old job? Will there still be food on your table?
Electoral campaigns cost money. Much more than what is believed before facing one for the first time. There are travel expenses, employee reimbursements, marketing expenses, expenses for nurturing social relationships, just to start. Ideally these should not be paid off from your personal finances. Exactly, ideally
Step 4. Develop your program
Here's the fun part! Ok, more or less. At least the most adrenaline-pumping one. You will need to assemble a group of people you trust to manage your schedule, but you will be the architect. How do you want to speak? How big should your team be? What issues are important to you? How will you handle your opponents?
Two words: Search Financing. Start looking for funding now. Contact everyone you know and ask them for donations (you've been nice to them for a long time because you know this time would come, right?). Even if you've only met them once and they're not even in your Facebook contacts, contact them. Do not be ashamed!
Step 5. Lean on your (rich) friends
This is one of those times when belonging to one of those luxury circles can be beneficial. You will need cash and those donations of 10 euros that your aunt makes you at most once a year really won't be enough. You will need thousands of such donations. So, whether you're sipping a vintage Pinot Grigio or serving it, always try to know how to butter your bread and make money. It is the sad truth.
This is why having been a known personality for a while might come in handy. You may have been noticed by the right people and they may have seen the new promise of politics in you. That's why it's a good idea to get involved in one of the big parties - it's a solid platform for getting the right attention
Step 6. Broaden your horizons
Once you have managed to make your way through the local loop, you will need to look for a place to find bigger fish. So move on the state ladder! Become part of the legislative power: candidates for deputy or senator. You have already shown that you have the right qualities, maybe now you could try to earn something!
- It's more or less the same, only on a bigger level. And a bigger level requires more work. And more money. In general, it requires more of everything. Certainly more time.
- Precisely because you will need more time, make sure you have discussed it with your family and with the people close to you. Your life will never be the same and you will no longer be so easily traceable. You may have to go around a lot, which can cause you to be much more stressed than usual. But it might be worth it!
Step 7. Persevere
If you make it and manage to get elected, congratulations! It will be stressful and cause your hair to turn gray prematurely, but you will have a chance to make a difference!
If you don't make it, don't be disappointed. If it's something you are really passionate about, your chance will come. You will have to keep your head up and not take it personally. It's a difficult world, and you won't make it if you don't fight. If it had been easy, it wouldn't have meant that much. So stay calm and move on. There are always the next elections
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Nurture Your Persona
Step 1. Try to speak well in public
If there was only one quality required of a politician, it would have to be the ability to speak in public. Your face, your voice, your person will be in the spotlight until the election campaign ends. People will look at you and analyze you more and more. If you can persuade them with your winning smile, calm down the edgy behaviors, and persuade people that you're qualified for the job, then it's going to be a smooth ride.
The most obvious examples are Barack Obama and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. When Obama steps on the podium, his charisma simply explodes. It was his speaking skills that brought him to where he is now. And then there's that famous debate between Kennedy and Nixon where Kennedy was so calm and quiet and was so good that he got the better of a particularly nervous and contracted Nixon. So, review
Step 2. Choose the right wardrobe
While Kennedy managed to keep Nixon at bay thanks to her charisma, it certainly didn't hurt that he was much more handsome and more appropriately dressed. If you are going to be in the spotlight, you will need to adopt the right style. That means ties, suits and cool khaki pants that shout to voters "I'm just like you". And the shoes! Don't forget the shoes.
You'll generally need two different styles: a cute and elegant suit for more formal functions, and roll-sleeved shirts paired with khakis when speaking to the City. This applies to both men and women, although women can choose between skirts and pants
Step 3. Reinforce your views
If you expect people to vote for you, you need to have your precise opinions and they need to be easily understood. No unclear positions and no last minute changes of mind, or you will be called back before you can say your name. Fortunately, you should have discussed these aspects before the election campaign (although in the reality of politics, changes of ideas are not uncommon).
You will be encouraged to align your positions with those of the majority. Remember that you don't have to do this. Your team may want you to do this, but you don't have to do things you don't want to do. It might get you votes, but what happens when the time for politics ends? Are you hoping that Catholic guilt doesn't hit you?
Step 4. Be comfortable with reporters and their jokes
Since you are a politician, you have practically giving up your privacy. You are the closest thing to a movie star that exists on earth. Your image will be everywhere, from posters on the street to the news. And it won't always be pleasant. Even if it will be difficult to manage the continuous photo shoots and fake a fake smile, it will be even more difficult to manage the criticism. Do you think you can do it?
The association between politics and scandals is so common that it is almost embarrassing. If you are a candidate, expect to face everything from your dishonorable discharge from military service to that speeding fine of 27 years ago. If there is something slightly spicy in your past, rest assured that it will come back to hunt you down
Step 5. Strengthen
It is not a career for the faint of heart. It will involve nights, nicknames, pleas, lickers and the endurance of many platitudes. There will be times when you feel on top of the world and others when you think the world is crushing you. You will need to have tough skin and great confidence. Are you ready?
