A career in politics appeals to many. However, politics is a unique path in many ways, especially when it comes to the actual qualifications that an aspiring politician needs to meet.
For most jobs, there is a basic list of requirements that all potential candidates need to meet in order to be considered for the position. These typically include things like education, work experience, and proficiency in technical skills.
Someone who wants to be a computer programmer, for instance, would get a degree in computer science, work internships in the field, and get certified in the various programming languages they want to work with. After accomplishing all of that, they would meet the minimum requirements for the job they are after and would apply for it.
Politics is a totally different ball game. Most political offices have little to no specific requirements to run. The most common requirements are age and residency. For instance, in order to become a senator in the United States Congress, you have to be at least 30 years of age, a US citizen for at least nine years, and be a resident of the state you are elected to represent. That means that virtually all American’s could run for that office, one of the highest and most powerful in the land. Many local offices have even less formal requirements.