Advice for women interested in politics

Josh Hilgendorf
Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:53:00 +0000
Spotlight, Work, Hilgendorf, Politics

Wisconsin government representatives share tips for women looking to get involved in politics.

Get Involved – Politics start on a local level ⎯ get invested and involved in your home community. School boards, city councils and county boards are all great springboards for state and federal opportunities in public office. As long as the people in your community see you involved, they know you have the capability to make decisions and will trust you. – Rep. Kerkman and Rep. Seidel

Know Your Values – You don’t have to be an expert on budgets, agriculture or business to be effective in politics. Instead, you only have to know your values and what you believe in. If you know what is important to you, you will know what direction to take the people you represent. You will be able to educate yourself about issues along the way. – Christine Lidbury

Make Connections – Networking is very important in politics ⎯ try to put yourself in the best position possible to meet a lot of new people. One of the easiest ways to start is by working on campaigns to meet political leaders in your community. You will be surprised how many opportunities arise after you start making connections. – Christine Lidbury

Find Your Motivation – Find things in the world around you that are frustrating. Whether it is the quality of education, health care or unemployment, let your concerns motivate you. Know that you don’t have to just sit back and complain about it. You have the power to change the world around you if you take the time to get involved. – Rep. Pasch

Know Yourself – To be successful in anything, not just politics, you have to know your abilities. Be confident in yourself. It is possible to achieve great things in life if you only understand what you are capable of. – Rep. Bernard Schaber

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone – Try to have as many different experiences in life as possible. Volunteer as much as you can. Go places and do things that make you uncomfortable. Isolating yourself or staying within your comfort zone will limit your opportunities for growth. – Rep. Bernard Schaber

Just Go For It – If you are really interested in politics, dive in. Don’t be worried that you don’t know enough about the political process or the issues. There will be mentors along the way who will help you make it. The sky is the limit. – Rep. Pasch