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Work experience with an MP.

3

A few of my friends have had work experience or work shadowing placements with MP's for a few weeks, and as this seems like useful experience that would look good on a C.V (as well as providing an interesting insight :wink:

) I thought I'd try and organise it for myself over easter or the summer, however I have no idea how to go about it! I'd feel a bit weird just writing a letter with my C.V included to my M.P. So does anyone know how I'd go about it? Has anyone done this before if so what did you think of the experience? Oh and if anyone has any info on experience as a political researcher I'd also like to know that. :smile:

Reply 1

jasmineknight

I did something a bit similar, I work shadowed a Lord, but it was my high school careers administrator who sorted it out, she personally knew the Lord. Sorry if this doesn't help!

Reply 2

Norfolkadam

18

I really wanted to do it. I got an offer from my MP after he met me at a Politics Conference and then I didn't hear anything so I pestered his office for a while. I got an interview at his office eventually but I haven't heard anything sense and this was at the start of last year.

Hm. I think it was just shadowing him and some of his workers with their constituency work and then going down to Westminster for a little while to help out in his office there.

It's a real shame since he's a nice guy and I don't really want to do it for the Tory guy who will (probably) win the next election.

I think writing a letter with your CV is actually the best way to do it. Especially if you have an interest in politics.

Reply 3

miss_world

OP

3

That would also be pretty cool experience, I didn't think of that. I'm also going to speak to the careers adviser at UCL but I thought if anyone on here had done something like this before then perhaps they could give me some advice. Did you find the experience usefu/enjoyablel?

Reply 4

miss_world

OP

3

Norfolkadam

I really wanted to do it. I got an offer from my MP after he met me at a Politics Conference and then I didn't hear anything so I pestered his office for a while. I got an interview at his office eventually but I haven't heard anything sense and this was at the start of last year.

Hm. I think it was just shadowing him and some of his workers with their constituency work and then going down to Westminster for a little while to help out in his office there.

It's a real shame since he's a nice guy and I don't really want to do it for the Tory guy who will (probably) win the next election.

I think writing a letter with your CV is actually the best way to do it. Especially if you have an interest in politics.

I do have an interest in politics but I don't really have any experience to prove that I do. Aside from being a member of the Labour society at UCL, but then my local MP's Lib Dem...

Grrr I hate the whole need experience to get experience thing- it's so stupid. It's like I needed to have figured out what I wanted to do with my life by the time I was 5 or something.

Reply 5

malibu22

My work experience with an MP was totally AWESOME! I got to investigate crimes involving some shady soldiers who had stolen some HEINZ BAKED BEANS from Corporal Jones. Those are the best beans as you all know. Anyway that certain soldier in question was court mashalled thanks to my clever sleuthing, he was demoted and now has to clean the windows. All the windows.

Reply 6

Norfolkadam

18

miss_world

I do have an interest in politics but I don't really have any experience to prove that I do. Aside from being a member of the Labour society at UCL, but then my local MP's Lib Dem...

Grrr I hate the whole need experience to get experience thing- it's so stupid. It's like I needed to have figured out what I wanted to do with my life by the time I was 5 or something.

You don't need experience, that's the idea about doing work experience, you just need to be interested (passionate would help) and willing to work quite hard.

I'm a member of the Green Party and my MP is Labour so that's not a big deal.

Reply 7

miss_world

OP

3

I meant in general for other work experience I've had. I was having a bit of a rant due to a previous work experience rejection :o:

.

But yes I'm definitely interested. Does the MP have to be for my constituency? Because I might write a letter to a few if not...

Reply 8

e-lover

16

Oh I didn't think of my MP!

Time to turn into a ulta-brownite for a few weeks :cool:

Note: No, it's not cool being a brownite. :eyeball:

Reply 9

L27

7

I emailled my constituency MP and got a weeks work experience working in his office in Portcullis House.. easy peasy! I was 17 with no work experience, and with a bit of email back and forth with his Researcher and sending off a criminal record thing I was in! And it was awesome :biggrin:

Reply 10

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

20

Have you looked at http://www.w4mp.org/

Reply 11

adilmorrison

12

jasmineknight

I did something a bit similar, I work shadowed a Lord, but it was my high school careers administrator who sorted it out, she personally knew the Lord. Sorry if this doesn't help!

I did the same thing... How was your time?

Reply 12

miss_world

OP

3

threeportdrift

Have you looked at http://www.w4mp.org/

thanks for that, I hadn't encountered it before no :smile:

Reply 13

ElWilson

14

Hey,
Just a quick question, when writing a letter/email, what do you usually say in this? Do you give a list of qualifications etc. or do you wait until/if ever asked. I'm interested in how to correspond with an MP but I'm also thinking about applying to a Think Tank for some work experience, bearing in mind I'm still at school (L6).

Cheers :smile:

Reply 14

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

20

Your best bet would be to put in a CV, which contains your technical information, Education, Work Experience, Hobbies etc and then write a covering letter which describes why you would like to work for them. This is the standard package for a job application, and what you are doing is pretty much the same thing, except it is speculative ie you are asking if there is a job in the first place.

Reply 15

Talexe

Sorry if it sounds like I'm hijacking the friend, but I e-mailed my local MP with a covering letter and CV for work experience, and I've had no reply since.

Is it worth trying again, or is it an indication that he's not accepting placements at the moment?

Reply 16

Darkest Knight

12

Talexe

Sorry if it sounds like I'm hijacking the friend, but I e-mailed my local MP with a covering letter and CV for work experience, and I've had no reply since.

Is it worth trying again, or is it an indication that he's not accepting placements at the moment?

Try calling. Be polite etc..

Reply 17

Talexe

Got a call today from my MP's assistant telling me that I'd been accepted for work experience - thanks for the help, guys!

Reply 18

miss_world

OP

3

Talexe

Got a call today from my MP's assistant telling me that I'd been accepted for work experience - thanks for the help, guys!

Congratulations!

How did you get the job? Did you just send your C.V with a covering letter to the office? When will you be doing the work experience?

I'd like to do work experience during the summer and was wondering when to apply.

Reply 19

Talexe

miss_world

Congratulations!

How did you get the job? Did you just send your C.V with a covering letter to the office? When will you be doing the work experience?

I'd like to do work experience during the summer and was wondering when to apply.

I more or less just resent my previous e-mail with CV and cover letter, and was asked to fill in a questionnaire. Clearly, last time I'd just enquired too early! My advice would be to get the e-mail address of your local MP, and send a basic letter covering your interest for the placement with your CV attached.

Good luck!

Work experience with an MP.

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