My First Job: A Political Rant with Renee

Name: Renee
Age: 24
Current Location: Chicago suburbs
Year Graduated: 2008
Major: Communication Studies and Women's Studies
School: Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN
First Job: Regional Field Director

Company/Type of Company: Melissa Bean for Congress

Current Job Title: Graduate Student/Teaching Assistant
How Long at Your First Job: Three months (the job was over once the campaign was over)

How did you land your first job after college?

The supervisors of my political internships both contacted their colleagues in the area I wished to move. They passed along my resume and followed up on my behalf.

Tell us about the process of getting your first job.

I met with my future boss in May, right after I graduated. Unfortunately, the funding wasn't available at that time to bring me on but he said it should happen late July, early August. I spent a couple of weeks as a camp counselor and when I was finished, I interviewed for the position of Regional Field Director with the campaign.

What was the most challenging aspect of securing your first job?

Waiting. I waited forEVER to hear back from my contact. In politics, you run on borrowed time, never on the time line you want. I waited for weeks to hear back for my initial interview. I waited for MONTHS to hear about the actual position.

What was the biggest challenge once you were on the job? How did you overcome that?

Oh dear. I hated running phone banks and knocking on doors. I did not have thick enough skin to cold call people and ask about their politics. It was a rough time. Additionally, I was working seven days a week. The only day off I received was when I called in sick with a stress migraine.

What did you wish you did differently when it came to finding, securing and performing on the job?

I wish someone would have sat me down and told me exactly what's involved in campaigns. It sounded glamorous but that's because I didn't know about all the door knocking and cold calling. There is very little actual political organization done "out in the field" where I was.

What was the best thing about your first job?

The connections I made... it lead to an official staff position with another politician.

What didn't you expect about your first job?

The terrible hours and the amount of hours and the amount of driving.

If you're not there anymore, why did you leave--and after how long?

I continued in politics for six more months on the official side of business. I hated it. It was more of the same soul-crushing politics... only this time I wasn't cold calling. Constituents were calling me to tell me exactly how they felt about my boss and the President and the Administration. Ew.

What is your ultimate career goal? What are your next steps in attaining that goal?

I would like to be a college professor and scholarly author. I just started grad school for my MA in Communication Studies. Next fall, I will apply for Ph.D. programs. Luckily, I was offered a TA position and am teaching two sections of my own class this year which is so, so exciting and is GREAT experience. I loved college and I'm looking forward to making a career out of loving college. :-)