Political Careers
March 12, 2015 5:29 PM Subscribe
When is it too late to start a career in politics?
I know someone, mid fourties, who is looking into political careers as in starting their life over. I think it's too late, sorry, but I did suggest that perhaps there may be careers in the political arena for people our age....can anyone suggest?
I know someone, mid fourties, who is looking into political careers as in starting their life over. I think it's too late, sorry, but I did suggest that perhaps there may be careers in the political arena for people our age....can anyone suggest?
In the broadest sense, if somebody is passionate and adaptable, it's never too late to start a career in anything, really. I'm in my forties and moving into politics seems entirely doable, especially if I was looking for something that was a way to make a modest income at a municipal or regional level.
That being said, being motivated to get into politics as a way of "starting over" doesn't really sound like a great reason to get into politics.
posted by Shepherd at 5:45 PM on March 12, 2015
That being said, being motivated to get into politics as a way of "starting over" doesn't really sound like a great reason to get into politics.
posted by Shepherd at 5:45 PM on March 12, 2015
It depends on what your background is and how high your sights are. DDE went into politics late and directly into the White House. Not bad!
If you want to do it for service and not for money, you can get involved in politics at the local level at most any age. If you have the right skills, you can get on a politician's staff at any age.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:47 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you want to do it for service and not for money, you can get involved in politics at the local level at most any age. If you have the right skills, you can get on a politician's staff at any age.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:47 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
If your friend is a member of a group that is under-represented in elected office, there may be an organization that is actively working to recruit people to run for office. For example: Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund or Emily's List. A friend of mine ran for local office supported by the Victory Fund and won her first election. She was 48 or so.
posted by expialidocious at 5:56 PM on March 12, 2015
posted by expialidocious at 5:56 PM on March 12, 2015
George Marshall was 67 when he became Secretary of State, his first political appointment.
Eisenhower was 63 when he was sworn in as President, his first political office.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:57 PM on March 12, 2015
Eisenhower was 63 when he was sworn in as President, his first political office.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:57 PM on March 12, 2015
Are you talking about working on campaigns or running for office? If it's running for office, forties is definitely not too late and is actually a pretty normal age for someone to run for office for the first time, especially if they already have some sort of local profile.
If you're talking about working on campaigns: only crazy people work on campaigns after age, say, 30. But your friend could look into working for advocacy organizations. Really depends on what sort of skills they have.
posted by lunasol at 6:09 PM on March 12, 2015 [5 favorites]
If you're talking about working on campaigns: only crazy people work on campaigns after age, say, 30. But your friend could look into working for advocacy organizations. Really depends on what sort of skills they have.
posted by lunasol at 6:09 PM on March 12, 2015 [5 favorites]
'When is it too late to start a career in politics?"
It is too late once you've done something illegal, said something stupid on the internet, hung out with the wrong crowd, had your first affair, married your cousin, or ...well you get my drift. (Note, there may be isolated exceptions to these rules).
Age may not be the most important issue...
posted by HuronBob at 6:10 PM on March 12, 2015 [10 favorites]
It is too late once you've done something illegal, said something stupid on the internet, hung out with the wrong crowd, had your first affair, married your cousin, or ...well you get my drift. (Note, there may be isolated exceptions to these rules).
Age may not be the most important issue...
posted by HuronBob at 6:10 PM on March 12, 2015 [10 favorites]
Hardly anyone runs for office under the age of 40 ... I did the math in my county when I was in office and only six of us out of around 60 elected officials in the county were under 40. Most "career" politicians start in their late-30s to early-50s, when they've achieved some success in their first career and/or are looking for a change, and their kids (if any) are more-or-less self-sufficient and don't need constant attention (it's VERY difficult to be involved in politics with small children). MANY politicians start around age 60 when they retire and have free time (although many/most of them are not interested in advancing beyond local office).
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:28 PM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:28 PM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm with HuronBob: age is not an issue. An infamous past history that will inevitably be outed for the entire world is the issue. Is your friend cool and froody with giving up their entire life history, more or less, for this? And their family's lives?
Though I am biased: I would not want anyone I liked to go into politics. You might still be able to keep a soul if you stay small time, but big time...not so much.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:32 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Though I am biased: I would not want anyone I liked to go into politics. You might still be able to keep a soul if you stay small time, but big time...not so much.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:32 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
This clown was 51 when his political career took off. A clean record and a schtick that works can get almost anyone elected.
posted by vrakatar at 6:42 PM on March 12, 2015
posted by vrakatar at 6:42 PM on March 12, 2015
What do you mean by "political career?" Elected office, campaigning, elected official's office, government employment, academic, consulting, etc? Broadly, political careers are based on trust and reliability—age doesn't matter. If your friend is willing to put in the work, your friend should be able to get work.
posted by JackBurden at 6:58 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by JackBurden at 6:58 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I made the switch into politics in my late 30s and I work for an organization that regularly hires people with non-traditional/non-political backgrounds to do community organizing work. And I've worked on campaigns that hired people in their 70s to be state field directors.
Whether or not you can do it depends on what you're willing to do. If you work on a campaign you can expect to work 7 days a week for 10-14 hours a day for little pay sometimes with benefits and sometimes not. People often parlay that experience into working as a staffer for an elected official, which will have less hectic hours, but you'll still be working evenings and weekends and won't be making a ton of money.
Advocacy organizations are looking for people with all kinds of skills - digital, marketing, communications, organizing, lobbying, IT, data analysis. There you will have mostly normal working hours and depending on the organization can make a decent though not extravagant living.
Most political organizations value people with campaign experience, and those who have "paid their dues," eating cold pizza and making phone calls. You can easily get that experiencing doing some volunteering and if you are good can usually get hired.
There's basically no job security in campaigns. You'll be out of a job every November and looking for another one in January.
posted by brookeb at 7:02 PM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Whether or not you can do it depends on what you're willing to do. If you work on a campaign you can expect to work 7 days a week for 10-14 hours a day for little pay sometimes with benefits and sometimes not. People often parlay that experience into working as a staffer for an elected official, which will have less hectic hours, but you'll still be working evenings and weekends and won't be making a ton of money.
Advocacy organizations are looking for people with all kinds of skills - digital, marketing, communications, organizing, lobbying, IT, data analysis. There you will have mostly normal working hours and depending on the organization can make a decent though not extravagant living.
Most political organizations value people with campaign experience, and those who have "paid their dues," eating cold pizza and making phone calls. You can easily get that experiencing doing some volunteering and if you are good can usually get hired.
There's basically no job security in campaigns. You'll be out of a job every November and looking for another one in January.
posted by brookeb at 7:02 PM on March 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yes, please clarify what you mean. If they want to work on campaigns, I could tell you more war stories like brookeb's; it is often shit work not even fit for the energetic, naive 20-somethings who usually get tricked into it. You have to really be a true believer to put up with it; you'd get more predictable hours and less stress working at Walmart.
If instead they want to run for office, the problem isn't age per se; I'd be more concerned with the intent to "start[] their life over" in that case. It is very important, in getting elected, to work your connections that you've acquired throughout your life, and also to establish a good narrative describing how your work experience and other life experience show your wisdom and make you qualified to hold office. Looking at it as "starting over" is exactly the wrong way to go about it if they ever want to get elected to anything.
I point you to my state's Senator, Elizabeth Warren.
Sorry, that's incredibly naive; Prof. Warren started advising Congress (at their express invitation) on bankruptcy issues in 1995 and lobbied hard for several years to prevent the passage of the 2005 revision to the Bankruptcy Act - alas without success on that last point. So actually she had over 20 years of practical political experience before she ran for Senate.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 7:43 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
If instead they want to run for office, the problem isn't age per se; I'd be more concerned with the intent to "start[] their life over" in that case. It is very important, in getting elected, to work your connections that you've acquired throughout your life, and also to establish a good narrative describing how your work experience and other life experience show your wisdom and make you qualified to hold office. Looking at it as "starting over" is exactly the wrong way to go about it if they ever want to get elected to anything.
I point you to my state's Senator, Elizabeth Warren.
Sorry, that's incredibly naive; Prof. Warren started advising Congress (at their express invitation) on bankruptcy issues in 1995 and lobbied hard for several years to prevent the passage of the 2005 revision to the Bankruptcy Act - alas without success on that last point. So actually she had over 20 years of practical political experience before she ran for Senate.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 7:43 PM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
On the one hand, nth-ing that you can certainly move into politics at any age. Lots of politicians didn't start until the 40s/50s/60s.
But on the other hand, I wouldn't think of this so much as a career in the "making middle-class money" sense. Earning reasonable pay in the political world is hard and rare, and most people active in politics are losing money to do it (at least directly) while also maintaining some second career (or being retired). Outside of large cities, serving on city council or county commission generally pays dirt -- only a handful make more than $20K. In large cities, all bets are off... but in large cities, competition for those seats will be intense. Likewise, in a lot of states, legislators make under $30K.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:18 PM on March 12, 2015
But on the other hand, I wouldn't think of this so much as a career in the "making middle-class money" sense. Earning reasonable pay in the political world is hard and rare, and most people active in politics are losing money to do it (at least directly) while also maintaining some second career (or being retired). Outside of large cities, serving on city council or county commission generally pays dirt -- only a handful make more than $20K. In large cities, all bets are off... but in large cities, competition for those seats will be intense. Likewise, in a lot of states, legislators make under $30K.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:18 PM on March 12, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by phunniemee at 5:36 PM on March 12, 2015