Hiring Qualified Campaign Staff - National Democratic Training Committee

Is your candidate looking to hire qualified campaign staff for this year’s midterm elections? NDTC is here to help. 

This year’s Staff Academy has 117 incredibly qualified and diverse graduates ready to be interviewed and eager to work on Democratic campaigns! Our 2022 Staff Academy Cohort graduates have exceptional campaign skills in digital, fundraising and communications, as well as strong management and leadership skills. 

It’s our goal to train and connect well-qualified staff to paid opportunities on Democratic campaigns. With this in mind, NDTC facilitates introductory networking interviews with our partners. 

Graduates of our program have worked for Biden/Harris, Sara Gideon for Maine, Fair Fight Action, Jon Ossoff for U.S. Senate, among many others.

The Cohort

The Staff Academy cohort includes people from different backgrounds, regions, and professional experiences. Some uprooted careers in other industries, inspired by their values to enter politics. They are educators, veterans, lawyers, and parents with diverse backgrounds and transferable skills that will transform how we run campaigns. 

However, other trainees are fresh out of college and just starting on their political journey. As a result, they are hungry to learn more and change the world. 

Furthermore, we prioritize political campaign staff who are women, people of color, and transgender (trans) and non-binary people. With this in mind, here is a quick breakdown of this year’s cohort:

  • 53% people of color with the largest representation from Black or African American people and Latinx or Hispanic people
  • 57% women
  • 3% trans or non-binary
  • 37% LGBTQ+ community
  • 10% immigrant or first-generation American
  • 18% current or former member of a labor union
  • Cohort members represent 34 out of 50 states

This highly selective cohort completed a rigorous application process fielding a wide array of applicants. 

We graduate qualified political campaign staff who exhibit dedication to the work, grit in their studies, and inquisition in their program activities. We work to prepare our graduates to work in Democratic politics. 

Is your organization interested in interviewing our SA grads, or getting access to our grad resume folder? If so, then email [email protected] with information about what position you’re looking to fill, with location, and compensation details as well.

Why is this program effective?

For many cohort members, this is the beginning of their career in campaigns and political work. As a result, many lack robust political networks. 

When “who you know” is as important as “what you know,” those that lack access are often left out of the political world and valuable perspectives are missing from political campaigns.  Therefore, the intent of our networking interviews is to mitigate this barrier by facilitating an introduction into the world of politics. 

Interview Format

These interviews are speed-networking style. Each interview will last 8 minutes with 2 minutes before the next. Based on the number of job seekers, we estimate the time needed to meet. Additionally, we provide partners with up to date resumes of all Staff Academy graduates, including previous years.

Graduates can formally apply for current available positions and undergo additional interviewing and screening in the hiring processes. As a result, many Staff Academy graduates have found employment with NDTC’s partners over the last two years.

Who We Are

Staff Academy recruits, trains, and connects new political campaign staff to paid career opportunities in Democratic politics across the country. We prioritize leaders who are women, transgender, and people of color because these communities drive the Democratic party, but lack representation on Democratic campaigns. 

Because of NDTC Staff Academy’s rigorous training and standards, our partners will connect with individuals who lean into the work and produce results. Democrats need campaign leadership, and political organizations, advocacy groups, consulting firms, and others need teams with qualified and talented individuals. This transforms their work in the short term and progresses Democratic influence in America for years to come. 

By hiring Staff Academy graduates, you are hiring leaders who uplift Democratic values and lead with humility. These exceptional campaign leaders know what’s at stake when we wait for others to do the work. 

Thank you for considering our alumni for your upcoming and continued career opportunities. We look forward to continuing to build strong and qualified political campaign staff. 

Get Involved with Staff Academy

Staff academy provides a fantastic opportunity to both build valuable campaign skills, and an impressive resume. Does that sound like the next move for your career? Be sure to sign up at the link below to get notified for next year’s staff academy cohort applications. 

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