How to become a Campaign Manager?

Every successful election in a country has a hardworking Campaign Manager behind it, the sole driving force of the campaign, who is responsible for ensuring its success, right from ideation through execution. If you are considering treading the Campaign Manager career path, this blog can help.

What is a Campaign Manager?

Very simply put, a Campaign Manager assumes complete responsibility for coordinating a political campaign in the country. This includes overseeing the spending, strategy formulation, and other activities involved in the campaign. Campaign Managers can choose to work voluntarily, or part-time and full-time, and their job role is therefore likely to vary accordingly.

How to become a Campaign Manager?

If this sounds appealing and something that you would like to pursue as a career option, this step entails the exact steps to become a Campaign Manager:

1. Complete a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study: Campaign Managers are the driving force behind every election campaign. It is thus essential for them to familiarize themselves with the political landscape. As such, a degree in Political Science is considered the most ideal for students aspiring to pursue the career path of a Campaign Manager. Additionally, you may consider studying English, Public Relations, History, Communications, or Business Administration – all relevant subjects for the role.

2. Gain relevant work experience: Once you graduate with a Bachelor’s in a subject of your choice, make sure to practice your skills in campaigning to gain sufficient relevant work experience in the domain. This may include volunteering for local political campaigns, getting in touch with voters, participating in internships, and performing office duties. 

3. Apply for a job at the entry level: This would help you add professional work experience to your portfolio and open doors to future career prospects in the role. A fundraiser or volunteer coordinator role can be considered at the entry level, moving up to the position of a Campaign Manager as you gain a strong work ethic and experience. 

4. Upgrade your qualifications: The key to assuming the role of a Campaign Manager is to continue upskilling yourself with higher-level qualifications in the domain. A Master’s in Political Science, Campaign Management, Elections, or Political Management are some considerable options.

Skills needed for a Campaign Manager

Along with the right Campaign Manager qualifications, it is essential to gain the right skills for the job. Some of the top skills that are considered noteworthy for the role of a Campaign Manager are:

• Team-building skills
• Effective verbal and written communication
• Problem-solving abilities
• Organizational skills, including managing events and overseeing staff activities
• Creating and managing budgeting activities 

Roles & responsibilities of a Campaign Manager

Let us now take a look at some of the key Campaign Manager job roles that they are required to perform on a day-to-day basis. Most Campaign Managers work part-time or full-time; however, some may work voluntarily as well, depending on the size and scale of the campaign. 

Some of the primary Campaign Manager responsibilities are defined below:

• Budgeting: They are responsible for planning, disbursing, and maintaining the overall budget of the political campaign.
• Setting up the campaign strategy: Campaign Managers design and oversee the overall strategy of the campaign, which includes tasks like identifying policy positions, messaging, and outreach strategy.
• Legal compliance: They must ensure that the campaign is per all finance laws on the campaign.
• Planning the campaign: They outline a detailed plan for the campaign while working with the candidates.
• Hiring the staff: Campaign Managers are also responsible for all staffing activities, including recruiting the campaign staff, training them, and managing the consultants and volunteers.

Campaign Manager salary in India

The average base range of salary for a Campaign Manager in India is estimated between INR 4 lakh and INR 14 lakh per annum. However, please note that the figures are indicative only and may vary depending on the qualifications and experience of the candidate. 

You may be interested to learn more about US Elections 2024.

Conclusion

Running a political or election campaign for the country is a matter of pride for any citizen of India. The job involves a decent level of excitement as well, overseeing the campaign from its initial to the final stages, ensuring its success effectively in all designated parts of the country. The job however is also of utmost responsibility, requiring a certain level of skills and qualifications, which can be complemented with a relevant degree at the UG/PG levels.

Sikkim Manipal University can help achieve your goal of becoming a Campaign Manager by offering online BA courses with 3 combinations of Political Science, Sociology, and English. Interested aspirants can also then apply for online MA degree programs in Political Science as well as the other two specializations, as per their choice. 

Sikkim Manipal is accredited by NAAC and offers UGC-entitled degrees on the Online Manipal platform. The courses are delivered in 100% remote learning mode and offer convenience to students.