Arena Tool
Writing Your Political Resume
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Your resume has one job: to get you an interview.
Whether you’re looking for your first campaign job or want to level up your political career, this tool will give you the best practices, examples, and a framework to update your resume. Our goal is to help you stand out in a crowded field and convince political hiring managers they need to talk to you. Arena’s Writing Your Political Resume guide will focus on five key elements:
- Format
- Writing Resume Bullets
- Delivery
- Cover Letters
- Resume Checklist
Includes four on-demand video modules below:
- Module 1: Resume Goals (9:26)
- Module 2: Format (10:55)
- Module 3: Writing (19:51)
- Module 4: Delivery & Cover Letter (7:56)
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Hiring managers in the political space are operating on tight timelines and are inundated with resumes and recommendations. Given this, hiring managers will:
1. Skim for relevant experience as laid out in the job description (think: 10-15 seconds of skimming)
2. Pass over resumes that are confusing or difficult to read
3. Check for applicable skills (again, from the job description)
4. Prioritize clear, concise, and readable resumes
5. Resist jargon, especially if it’s outside of the political industry
We’re not saying all of these practices are “right” – we’d love for hiring managers to devour every word and phrase of your resume – but we’re sharing the reality of what hiring managers are dealing with and why creating your strongest resume can help you stand out. Let’s start with the basics: format.
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