| Make no mistake: people are hiring in December. Employers and stakeholders in DC are getting ready for the upcoming election year. Political and advocacy campaigns continue to ramp up, and that means they are hiring new employees now.
Political strategy firms, nonprofit advocacy groups, and PR firms are looking for all types of help. They need senior-level fundraisers and communications directors, mid-level associates to implement digital strategies and manage teams across the country, and entry-level staff to create content and provide administrative support. Check out the most-requested skills we are seeing right now at the end of this article!
There are a number of other tried and true reasons to look for a job during the holidays:
1. Budgets and hiring needs are set for 2020. Employers want to hit the ground running and start the process in December in hopes of having new hires in the office working in January. And with many employees out of the office on leave, managers have more time to focus on resume reviewing and interviewing.
2. Estimates say that at least 70 percent of people have ended up in their jobs thanks to personal connections. To jump start your job search, it’s time to ramp up your networking game. December is abound with opportunities — holiday parties, volunteer drives, etc.
3. Many employees are just waiting out annual bonuses and quit after they are received. That means unexpected openings at some businesses.
4. There may be less competition for the job you are interested in because everyone else thinks it’s not a good time to look.
5. It’s best not to lose momentum in your job search. Stopping now and getting going again in January can be tough mentally.
Finally, don’t forget that Brad Traverse Jobs offers gift subscriptions — the perfect gift for the person who has everything, except a rewarding job!
Skills Employers Need Right Now
Entry-Level
General Qualifications
Exceptional writing ability.
Eye for great design.
Ability to hit tight deadlines while juggling multiple requests and projects.
Meticulous attention to detail.
An understanding of major social networking sites.
Strong passion for politics, public policy, political science, or related fields.
Specific Qualifications
Proven track record drafting creative and effective content for digital channels
Familiarity with the Adobe Creative Suite and/or website content management systems such as WordPress is a plus.
Able to market, communicate, and coordinate logistics and materials for member committee events, such as monthly calls, webinars, presentations, and meetings.
Able to support advocacy efforts, including research and assisting in the drafting, editing, proofreading of articles, comments, letters, and blogs.
Able to maintain and update website and database, including committee rosters, regulatory comments and testimony databases, member-only sites, and public facing webpages.
Familiar with benchmarking surveys, including tracking responses and preparing final survey results for distribution to members.
Capable of duties like: arrange appointments, maintain schedule, make travel arrangements, and general office support, including designated time staffing the front desk and answering phones.
Mid-Level
General Qualifications
Previous experience working in a fast-paced environment, with demonstrated ability to meet deadlines while managing multiple and ever-changing priorities.
Familiarity with legislative and regulatory processes on the federal or state level.
Experience in campaign and grassroots organizing.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Significant digital/social media engagement.
Able to draft key messaging, press releases, toolkits, talking points and other media materials.
Able to proactively identify storylines, develop press lists, draft pitches and foster relationships with key reporters.
Has served as a project manager, overseen vendors and field teams, tracked and maintained deadlines, and met key deliverables.
Positive, can-do attitude with a willingness to work evenings and weekends, as needed.
A team player who works well with a diverse team.
Ability to travel, as needed, within the United States.
Specific Qualifications
A proficient knowledge of multiple of the following areas: PowerPoint, Excel, Facebook Business Manager, Google AdWords, MOAT, DCM, OTT and CTV partners.
State government relations, legislative, communications and/or monitoring experience.
Capitol Hill experience.
Solid knowledge of website analytics tools and demonstrated experience leading and managing SEO/SEM, marketing database, email, social media and or display advertising campaigns.
Highly creative with experience in identifying target audiences and devising digital campaigns that engage, inform and motivate.
Senior/Executive-Level
Excellent communication and presentation skills with a range of audiences (internal and external), and with confidence to serve as the company’s spokesperson.
Experience with stakeholder processes and demonstrated ability to influence market operators, government officials and policymakers.
Strong political instincts and ability to navigate complex and potentially sensitive political landscapes, and can work well with both Republicans and Democrats.
Ability to cultivate and manage high quality stakeholder relationships, build consensus, work in a team environment, and coordinate across multiple groups within a large organization.
Ability to develop and execute a successful fundraising plan, including cultivating and stewarding strategic partnerships.
Ability to process complex, technical, abstract verbal and written information for purposes of establishing strategy, direction and action plans.
Excellent organizational and project management skills, with experience running multiple projects and deadlines effectively.
Demonstrated experience setting and managing budgets and financial forecasting, and delivering results on time and within budget.
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