I ran a canvassing office in Philadelphia for a summer a while back, and had a really good experience. Canvassing is not for everyone, but I think it’s a great summer job for a college student – the pay is good, it’s social, you learn great skills and there is a high learning curve. You also get to work for a cause you believe in. And, you get to spend the whole summer outside and not behind a desk. There are also good opportunities for advancement – if you do well at your job, it’s common to get promoted to a field manager. I also think that the main skill I learned from canvassing – how to ask strangers for something in a compelling way – has been extremely useful in many aspects of my life.
The cons, as far as I can tell – the hours are long, it can be tiring, there is usually no health insurance, and there is no job stability (if you don’t meet your fundraising goals, they can let you go). However, I think it’s definitely worth trying it for a couple days to see what you think of it. Most canvassing jobs require your first day to be an unpaid observation day so that you can see what canvassing is like. I had staff members who worked for a week or so, decided it wasn’t for them, and moved on to other jobs – why not try it out and see what you think. If you are a psychology major, you may be interested by the psychological component to canvassing. The best canvassers are the ones who have the right mentality. It’s not about begging someone for money, it’s about giving them an opportunity to make an impact in a cause they believe in. You also get to learn to focus on the people who say yes, and not get upset when people say no.
Good luck!
p.s. it’s a common misconception that you will get “doors slammed in your face.” I canvassed for months and that doesn’t really happen– it’s extremely rare to get that kind of reaction. Most people are nicer than you think – even if they can’t contribute they are usually friendly.