Applying to be a Candidate's Delegate at the Dem National Convention

February 5, 2020 12:32 PM

Democratic Primary (USA) Filter: I received an email today from my preferred candidate's campaign, asking me to apply to be one of the candidate's delegates at the national convention this summer. I would love to do this! There's a short written application and applicants can also attach an optional video pitch. What's your advice for making my application shine, especially the video portion?

The video portion specifically asks about what issue in the candidate's platform I care most about and why. Otherwise, it's a pretty generic and short application!

Is there anything that I can or should do that would help my application stand out? I'm not ancient but I'm ancient enough that I've never actually created a video application before, so I'm most nervous about that aspect.

Note: I have been swamped the last couple months and haven't been able to volunteer for this campaign yet -- but I plan to do some phone banking over the weekend to make up for that. I don't want to apply to be a candidate's delegate without having ever volunteered for them.

posted by nowadays to Law & Government (1 answer total)

I think you should apply now, and volunteer later. This is a job application, you've gotten an offer to interview, I feel you shouldn't delay it unnecessarily when they have expressed interest. In fact this is a form of volunteering, if you think about it.

My feeling is that you should find an issue that resonates with you personally. Tell a story about that issue's impact on you or your work around the issue, your candidate's position, and how they relate, a story where you becoming a delegate and them becoming the candidate feels like a really great ending.

Also watch your own video, and adjust. Listen to your video, and adjust. A lot of people doing video interviews focus on the words they are going to say, do a few takes, don't watch their own videos, and look like wooden robots. This is a time for enthusiasm. Show your emotion through your tone, facial expression and gestures. Think about how you would look on camera speaking in favor of your candidate... that's part of what you want to bring to this interview.
posted by gryftir at 2:30 AM on February 6, 2020