Why You Should Consider A Career In Politics- Are you a selfless individual, always on the look out to help people, defend the helpless or yearn for a positive change in your community? Then you may want to consider a career in politics. Politics is simply defined as the sum of activities relating with the governance of a country or area. In the following paragraphs, we would show you some reasons to consider a career in politics and what it takes to have a career in politics.
Why You Should Consider A Career In Politics
Career In Politics At A Glance
A career in politics will involve you working in government or public service in a capacity that enables you take decisions that would affect the lives of many people. For you to successfully run a career in politics, you must have a deep of understanding of public service , political issues and how these would have affect the society either positively or negatively. Examples of political positions/ roles include governors, senators, council members, members of parliament, government bureaucrats, etc.
To successfully have a career in politics, you must possess excellent communication skills, leadership skills, decision making skills, negotiation skills, networking, etc. it would require a lot of hardwork, strategic thinking and planning, etc. Career in politics could be challenging , however it has a lot of rewards attached to it.
Reasons You Should Consider A Career In Politics
1. It’s a great opportunity to serve your community
Politics is primarily about serving your community. So if you have always had the passion to help your community or give back to your community, then you should consider a career in politics.
2. To represent the people
Another reason you may want to consider a career in politics is because politics gives you opportunity to represent the people. It’s an opportunity to be the voice to the voiceless, the helpless and the unheard.
3. To create the needed changes in your environment/ community
If you have always desired to see some changes in your environment, then you may want to take up a career in politics. You cannot make any changes standing behind the crowd, you must be at the forefront. I mean being in leadership position to make any significant change.
4. To lead the people
No matter how good a set of people are, if they are being led by a bad leader, then wont achieve much results. But if there is a set of weak people with a strong leader, such set of people will achieve great result. So if you feel you can make lead a given set of people to achieve some objectives, then you may want to go for a career in politics.
5. If you have a passion for politics
If any time you hear about politics, something bubbles up from within you, then it shows you are passionate about it. You are passionate about equity and justice for everyone, then a career in politics will be great for you.
How Do I start Off A Career In Politics
Having a career in politics can be challenging but also rewarding. If you have some passion for politics, interest for the people/ community and some leadership skills, then you should take up a career in politics. Here is how to begin a career in politics:
1. Get relevant education and certifications
Getting a college degree in fields like political science, law , public administration, journalism will be a great advantage if you are interested in getting a career in politics.
2. Get some experience
After getting relevant qualification, the next step is to get some experience. You can do so by volunteering or doing some internship. You can join political organizations, get actively involved in their campaigns and perhaps work as a personal assistant to a personnel holding a political office.
3. You need good communication skills
For you to have a successful career in politics, you must have sound communication skills most especially in the verbal aspect, the written aspect is equally important. You must develop some level of verbal confidence. To develop such, you can read books and also interact with great minds.
4. Develop some strong persistence
To develop a career in politics requires lots of resilience, persistence and hardwork. Everything you dream of wont happen in a day. It’s a process and a journey into the politics world.
5. Be up-to-date
You must be well-informed and updated with current trends in the political world.
6. Have a strong network
Your network here should consist of individuals with similar minds, goals, politically-oriented people. Friends, colleagues and mentors that are actively involved in politics should form your network.
What Skills Do I Need To Start A Career In Politics
To have a successful career in politics, you will need to develop the following skills:
1. Leadership skills
Having a career in politics implies that you will be holding a leadership position in one capacity or the other. You must know how to motivate people and inspire people. You must know how to handle different situations
2. Communication skills
This skill is very critical to your having a successful career in politics. You need a high level of verbal confidence too. You must be able to communicate your thoughts and views to people in a way that they will be able to comprehend you. You must be able to relate with different categories of people: the rich, poor, middle-class, uneducated, educated, disabled and others.
3. Problem Solving skills
As a leader, you will encounter issues sometimes. You aren’t going to end your career because of such challenges. You have to know how to handle such and move on. People will come to you with problems and you must be able to solve such.
4. Critical thinking
You should have strong critical thinking skills as someone in the political career. You must be able to intelligently analyze different situations and make decisions based on such.
5. Research skills
You must be skilled at making research. You must know how to find out information as regarding issues and be able to make some intelligent conclusions and decisions based on information gathered.
6. Emotional stability
If you are going to have a great career in politics, you must be emotionally stable and balanced. In your career, you will be meeting different categories of personalities; some will be kind to you, some hostile, while some would even want to harm you. So you must be emotionally strong and not loose your mind because of people’s reactions and attitude towards you.
Other skills include Integrity, diplomacy, honesty, et.c
Job Opportunities In Politics Career
You may begin to wonder what kind of job will be available for you when you choose a career in politics. Below are some of the job roles you can take up with a career in politics.
Political Analyst: As a political analyst, you will be working for media organizations and some other agencies. You will be involved in analysis and making of commentaries on political situations and events.
Political Campaign Manager: He/ she works with a political party to manage political campaigns. They develop strategies, make budgets, coordinate activities of team members and also communicate with the general public. They see to successful running of campaigns.
Political Consultant: In this job role, you will be offering consultancy such guidance, advice, suggestions to political aspirants, political parties and organizations.
Government relations specialist: Such personnels work for organizations, corporations and others. They serve as liaison between government officials and the organizations they work for.
Public Affairs Specialist: these ones have the role of building and maintain relationships between the organization they work for and the general public. They can work in government agencies, non-profit organizations, etc.
Legislative Aide: They assist elected government officials to form policies and legislations. They carry out research, draft bills and consult with stakeholders to promote and support legislation.
Last Word
If you have always had the passion to help your community, give back to your community, be the voice of the voiceless or make a positive change, then you should take up a career in politics. The truth is there is no much difference you can make when you stand behind or in the midst of the crowd. Until you stand out, in front of the crowd, in a leadership role that your voice can be heard and you can be seen, then you can make a positive difference in your generation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What degree is best for a career in politics?
If you want to pursue a career in politics, you can pursue a degree in any of these:
Public administration
International Business
Public policy
Public health
Political Science
Criminal justice
In what job roles can I function with a career in politics?
Campaign manager
Press secretary
Speech writer
Legislative Aide
Activist
Lobbyist
Public opinion Analyst
How long does it take to study political science in Nigeria?
Political science is a 4-year program( Bachelor’s degree)
What is the study of politics known as?
The study of politics is known as Political Science. Some of the subjects taught in the field of Political science include International relations, Public administration, gender and politics, comparative politics, political methodology, etc.
What is the least age to run for governorship in Nigeria?
In Nigeria, you must be at least 35 years of age to run the office of a president or senator while to run for house of representative or house of assembly. To run for governorship, age 30 is the minimum age.
References
- www. collegeconsensus. com- 10 Best degrees for politics
- https:// chss. www. edu- Careers in Political Science
- www. thesuccessmanual. in -12 Essential skills Politicians Need- The success manual