In the season finale, we have Chandra Sharma again as our guest. Chandra gives his tips and advice for having a successful career in politics.

Chandra says the best way to get started is to find a direct method to work on a campaign.  Most people think getting your start in politics is to get a political science degree but the best route is to work directly on campaigns.  Izaak and Chandra were both active members on California College Republicans and this avenue led them directly to working on political campaigns. Chandra said that being in College Republicans directly resulted in starting his career.Chandra also points out that a great resource is to connect with your local active central committee. Reach out to your local party central committee and elected officials which  they can connect you to the campaigns.

Regarding work ethic, Chandra said that working hard and showing up on time are key qualities. There’s a lot of grunt work involved in politics so don’t be the person who complains and slacks off. These type of people will not have as many opportunities presented to them for the next campaign cycle. Putting in extra effort is key as well. When you put in the extra effort, your work will be noticed and it will help buff up your reputation.

Chandra said it’s a good practice to find someone who wants to help people develop and move up in their careers. It’s good to connect with the campaign manager or consultant to learn more about the industry and can help mentor you on your career.

Chandra and Izaak both agree that developing relationships are crucial. The world of politics is a small world, especially California Republican politics, so everyone in the industry will get to know or hear about you.  You don’t want to have a bad reputation as a slacker or someone who isn’t reliable in this industry. When Chandra looks at a resume, he will look.at the references and see who has the person worked for and then find out if that job candidate was a good worker. You want to be able to have people say good things about you and your work ethic.

If you would like to connect with Chandra, you can email him at [email protected]

Intro/Outro Music: http://www.purple-planet.com

The post Working in Politics #2: Chandra Sharma appeared first on The Grand Old Podcast.