"This book would be used as a companion piece along with an introductory or upper level-textbook in courses in American politics. It aims to be a powerful introduction to the job market in in the field and should be about 70 pages of text. The book will fill an important void in the marketplace. Many students, those who major in Political Science and those who simply have a passing interest in the subject, wish to learn more about how they can break into the notoriously networked and little understand market of American politics, both in their states or in Washington DC. These are students who will staff nonprofits, fuel campaigns, and work as staffers on Capitol Hill or in and around statehouses. Making that first step is difficult. Indeed, launching a career in American politics can be frustrating because of the peculiarities of this particular job market. Students also have a poor understanding of what networking means in American politics and they are likely to encounter few, if any, job fairs at their college or university that features substantial employment opportunities in the field. Their passion for politics, policy, or civic engagement often ends in frustration as they attempt to launch a career. This text is designed to help alleviate some of the frustrations undergraduate students encounter by encouraging them to take the important first few steps into this world with a full understanding of how to develop their trajectory in the vast universe of American politics"-- Provided by publisher.