Finding experience in your first-year summer

University courses Politics
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Your first summer as a Politics student is a great opportunity to gain relevant experience that can help you build your CV, develop useful skills, and explore potential career paths. Here are some ideas:

Internships & Work Experience

  • Think Tanks: Organisations like Chatham House, Policy Exchange, or the Institute for Government offer internships or research assistant roles.
  • MPs & Local Government: Reach out to your local MP’s office or council for work experience. Even unpaid shadowing can be valuable.
  • NGOs & Advocacy Groups: Organisations like Amnesty International, Oxfam, or Human Rights Watch often have summer programmes.
  • Journalism & Media: Writing for a student or local newspaper, or interning at a media outlet (e.g., The New Statesman, The Spectator, or BBC internships).
  • Political Party Work: If you’re involved in a party society, apply for campaign work, research, or communications roles.

Research & Academic Development

  • University Research Projects: Some universities have summer research assistant roles—ask lecturers or check department notices.
  • Independent Research & Writing: Start a blog or submit articles to student politics journals, think tanks, or political magazines.

Volunteering & Grassroots Engagement

  • Charities & Pressure Groups: Groups like Shelter, Greenpeace, or the Electoral Reform Society offer great opportunities.
  • Election Campaigning: If there’s an upcoming election, local parties will welcome volunteers for canvassing and outreach.
  • International Volunteering: If interested in international development, look into opportunities like VSO, ICS (if available), or grassroots NGOs.

Work Experience in Related Fields

  • Law & Public Affairs: Consider work experience at a law firm (especially those with public law or human rights focus) or lobbying firms.
  • Corporate & Public Sector Placements: Some government departments (like the Civil Service) offer summer schemes, and large firms have public affairs roles.

Online Courses & Skill Development

  • Political Data & Research Skills: Learning R, Python, or Excel for political data analysis can set you apart.
  • Foreign Language Skills: Since you study Spanish and are learning French & Portuguese, consider summer immersion courses.
  • MOOCs & Webinars: Platforms like Coursera and FutureLearn offer free courses on international relations, diplomacy, or policy-making.
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