How to hire a political internship

How to hire a political internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step political internship hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a political internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new political internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the political internship you need to hire. Certain political internship roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a political internship to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a political internship that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of political interns.

   Type of Political Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Political Internship	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$13-32
   Campaign Coordinator	A campaign coordinator is responsible for managing media campaigns and press communications for marketing efforts on business or other industry needs. Campaign coordinators perform administrative and clerical duties under the supervision of a campaign manager and develop event activities according to the campaign theme and requirements... Show more	$13-29
   Media Coordinator	A media coordinator acts as a communications professional in charge of developing and implementing target communications and advertising for various media platforms. Media coordinators plan, implement, and monitor the social media strategy of an organization... Show more	$16-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Foreign Policy
   • Press Releases
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Background Research
   • Political Campaigns
   • Event Planning
   • Policy Research
   • Voter Registration
   • Local Politicians
   • Think Tanks
   • Community Outreach
   • Political Events
   • RAN
   • Campaign Events

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage key work research and link building for SEM campaigns.
   • Set SEO requirements including meta-tags and keyword optimization; manage back linking.
   • Develop and implement GOTV campaign.
   • Develop content to advance social media and networking presence on Facebook.
   • Field-Produce national stories on topics including the Iowa caucus and immigration.
   • Implement Instagram strategy and double social media audience for both parks.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your political internship job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A political internship can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, political interns' average salary in montana is 50% less than in virginia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level political interns 59% less than senior-level political interns.
   • Certifications. A political internship with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a political internship's salary.

   Average political internship salary

   $43,860yearly

   $21.09 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level political internship salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a political internship job description

   A good political internship job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a political internship job description:

   Political internship job description example

   SKDK, an award-winning public affairs and political advertising agency, is seeking interns to join its political team remotely for a paid internship for Fall 2022. With offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, Albany, and Los Angeles, SKDK brings unparalleled strategic communications experience to Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, labor unions, political committees, and candidates.
   
   Whether it is creating a campaign launch video for a candidate, assisting a corporate client on establishing messaging around their corporate social responsibility strategy, or guiding a nonprofit through a crisis, SKDK is always at the forefront, leading the charge. There is no company better that understands the intersection of press, politics, and policy.
   
   At SKDK, we are made whole by the diversity of our team. We are a firm that invites and celebrates the uniqueness of each member of our team and encourages individuals to bring their best selves into the workplace. Whether it is through participation in one of our Employee Resource Groups, serving on our DEI Council, opportunities to volunteer, or bringing a new perspective to client work, your individuality and experience matters.
   
   Political team interns work on a wide range of fast-paced Democratic candidate and issue advocacy clients. Ideal candidates are driven, self-starters with the ability to grasp complex subject matter quickly and work well within teams.
   
   A successful candidate will have: Self-starter who can work independently and manage tasks remotely.Interest in and knowledge of campaigns and politics, including communications, Democratic politics, media, advertising, digital work, social media, research, or other related fields.Excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.Strong research, writing, and editing skills.Experience managing multiple projects and the ability to handle competing deadlines.Ability to adapt and respond quickly to changing landscapes and to work well under pressure and deadlines.Previous relevant experience in writing and political or communications-intensive positions or internships.
   
   Employment at SKDK is contingent upon the candidate's successful completion of a background check, reference check, and compliance with SKDK's COVID-19 policy. SKDK requires all employees to show proof of full vaccination, as defined by the CDC, prior to the beginning of their employment. Applicants who believe they need an accommodation of this policy because of a medical exemption or sincerely-held religious belief should inform the Director of Human Resources after an offer of employment is extended; please do not include any medical, genetic, or religious information on your application materials.
   SKDK is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce. It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any protected category.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right political internship for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your political internship job on Zippia to find and attract quality political internship candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting political interns requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new political internship

   Once you've found the political internship candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new political internship. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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