The Student Room Group

politics- work experience

Okay...I'm planning to study political science in university but I would like to do some work experience. Does anyone have any idea or links of where I can find work experience. I wanted to look for w.experience at Parliament but that will be very difficult to find. Please help.I need something constructive to do for my summer holiday and I need to look now if I want to be successful. Please give me some ideas of where I could do work experience- that is related to my intended field.
Reply 1
I really doubt work experience would help when applying for a politics degree but you could maybe try work experience with an MP but I'm sure it'll be unpaid.
Reply 2
i don't mind it being unpaid...yeah it might not help but i'm going to uni in america and they love their extra-curriculars so i just thought it would be helpful as all the activities i've done in the past are unrelated to politics.
Reply 3
You should also do alot of things like MUNs and working for a MP is a great idea.
Nevertheless its very hard to get work experience related to a politics degree.
Go be a work experience skivvy student for a couple of weeks for your local MP or someone who is going to stand at the next election for election. People, especially the candidates, are always happy for the help as they don't get paid themselves and so are always a bit short on cash!
Reply 5
As I've found out, especially with the recession on, finding Political work experience is near impossible as many MP's dont have the space for a person on work experience, nor the extra person to supervise them. Even the two big government departments I emailed said no.
Reply 6
ALBERTA
Okay...I'm planning to study political science in university but I would like to do some work experience. Does anyone have any idea or links of where I can find work experience. I wanted to look for w.experience at Parliament but that will be very difficult to find. Please help.I need something constructive to do for my summer holiday and I need to look now if I want to be successful. Please give me some ideas of where I could do work experience- that is related to my intended field.

W4MP is probably you're best bet. You'll probably find it hard now to get one, but when you're in uni it'll be a lot easier :smile:
Reply 7
Do MPs have a holiday off work in the summer when Parliament has dissolved or do they continue to work/campaign?
Reply 8
Email every MP within a distance that you're willing to travel to with a strong cover letter. I did this for about 20+ MPs (I live in Greater London) and 3 offered me work experience. I did it during August whilst Parilament was in recess and there was still plenty of (mundane) work to be done including a healthy amount of interaction with the MP herself.

My advice is: it doesn't hurt to ask. I think I got about 15 rejections from MPs and double that from other organisations but in the end I had something I could write on my personal statement as well as a few useful contacts for the future. It'll certainly be a benefit if you're applying for an American university.
Reply 9
misternite
Email every MP within a distance that you're willing to travel to with a strong cover letter. I did this for about 20+ MPs (I live in Greater London) and 3 offered me work experience. I did it during August whilst Parilament was in recess and there was still plenty of (mundane) work to be done including a healthy amount of interaction with the MP herself.

My advice is: it doesn't hurt to ask. I think I got about 15 rejections from MPs and double that from other organisations but in the end I had something I could write on my personal statement as well as a few useful contacts for the future. It'll certainly be a benefit if you're applying for an American university.


How did you do this? How many months did you ask for when you emailed them? How many months in advance did you email them? Did you get any pay or travel expenses etc? Did you work at their westminster office or constituency office?

Was it just an email you sent them or one with a CV and Covering letter?

Sorry about all the questions and thank you in advance.
sleekchic
How did you do this? How many months did you ask for when you emailed them? How many months in advance did you email them? Did you get any pay or travel expenses etc? Did you work at their westminster office or constituency office?

Was it just an email you sent them or one with a CV and Covering letter?

Sorry about all the questions and thank you in advance.


I just emailed their constituency office asking if I could have work experience for the whole of August in their Westminster office. Out of the ones I was accepted to only one asked for a CV. I wasn't given any expenses although the MP was nice enough to buy me lunch a few times.

Regarding where I worked. I spent the majority of my time at her constituency office doing boring tasks like filing or stuffing letters. Even when I was at the Westminster office, I was just made to do more filing. That's just my MP though, she seemed quite eager to get as many volunteers as possible to help with her constituency work, that's essentially what I was by the way, a party volunteer. I don't mean to deter you but what I did was incredibly, hair tearingly mundane. I know of some others who actually saw some action so I would check with the MP what work they'll expect you to do; not that it matters, I exaggerated what I did on my personal statement anyway.

I'd recommend trying to go between 1 June-21 July as anytime after that and Parliament will be in recess till the school year starts.
Reply 11
I was extremely lucky to gain work experience at the Westminster office of a local Mp who worked for he foreign and commonwealth office. This was great as I am applying for politics and international relations at uni next year. The placement lasted 2 weeks and it was brilliant! I got to go to work with him and shadow him almost everywhere he went. I also got tickets for pmqs which was great. I was also able to meet William Hague whih I was over the moon with. I live in Leicester and don't really have any close relatives or friends I could stay with so h was nice enough to let me stay with him and his wife and son in London. I was shocked and didn't know what to say!!! He was amazing and the fact that he had a fairly similar upbringing to me had something to do with it. We still email eah other and he likes to know the progress I'm making. I'll just say is, not every mp you contact will be like this!!! I owe him so much.
I got work experience with my MP but I only done it for a week during October half term, I got my travel expenses and my lunch paid for me and it was great. They let me deal with constituents and I got to organise meetings and go to discussion groups and they even said if I wanted to go back at anytime I could and I could go to London to sit in with Parliament.

Also whilst at college/sixth form apply for student council, run for student president, set up a society or club.

Join a MUN or a MHoC like the ones we have on TSR, you could join a political party or go on campaigns.

With you going to an American University they will obviously be looking at your interest in American politics so do lots of reading on the subject e.t.c to put on your personal statement.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 13
There's plenty of stuff out there rather than merely working with your MP.

You could make or join organisations and campaigns, suchh as the British Youth Council, UK Youth Parliament, Young Labour, Conservative Future, Liberal Youth, to name a few.

Even getting involved in the media, charities and pressure groups will help a lot. Top unis will always have people interested in the subject but they want someone with capability do do something with it, so activism, media and many other activities loosely related to Government will help.

I have a friend who is active in Young Labour and volunteers for numerous charities and has a weekly current affairs radio show, got the place for Political Science at the Uni of Bham. I know American unis take extra curricular seriously, some even have seperate application forms for it. A good number and variety will be good.
Wow that's sounds amazing im so jealous!! I'm currently in the midst of looking for work experience as I'm applying to do Politics in uni next year. I also live in Leicester but most of work experience i keep coming across is London which is a bit to far but I'm thinking of just doing.
where did you stay when you did your work experience ? did you go alone?
is there any contact detail you could forward me as that extremely useful im superrrrrrrr stressed as i left it all last minute
thanks!!

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