A path to power: a guide to working in professional politics.
“Education, education, education”
Welcome back.
In the previous posts we have looked at the difficulties of breaking into politics and what a “normal” day might look like if you finally get there. In these coming blogs we will dive deeper into the specifics on how to make you stand out as an exceptional candidate and get you that first job in the competitive world of professional politics.
Tony Blair once famously said when campaigning to become Prime Minister of the UK in 1997 that his Government’s main priority would be “education, education, education”. Like any career, education is the first thing you need to think about.
There is no single pathway to working in politics. Historically in the UK there was no direct educational path to professional politics. The political classes, since they became salaried in the UK at the beginning of the 20th Century, have been drawn from the aristocracy, the professional classes and the Labour movements comprised of trade unionists. It was also possible to have a more vocational path to national politics through local government and party activism.
In recent decades however some traditional paths to professional politics have closed making it increasingly harder to enter. However, some clear educational routes have emerged that can greatly raise the chances of you working in your national parliaments and assemblies. The first and most obvious of these to get into one of the world’s top universities. Although this does not guarantee a pathway into professional politics, it greatly helps. Let us look at the UK Parliament. The current leaders of the UK’s three major parties all went to Oxford or Cambridge. And in the United States, Barack Obama and previous Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton all attended Harvard or Yale.
Not everyone will be able to attend these universities, and even brightest and most capable students often struggle to find places at the elite Universities. Nevertheless, if you can turn your ambitions and talents towards these elite Universities you stand a much better chance of achieving your political ambitions.
So why is this? Firstly, there are some specific degree courses these universities offer that can that future political employers might be after. Whether it be the Oxford PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics) or a graduate programme at the Harvard School of Government, many political employers have seen these as providing a great foundation when entering political life. This is not just to do with the subjects studied, but the internationally recognised vigour of the courses these elite institutions provide.
The Oxbridge tutorial system is a case in point. Once you have begun an Oxbridge degree, you are not only expected to meet the course requirements though lectures and examinations, but also to write at least one essay a week (normally two) of at least 2000 words, and then be expected to sit down with a leading scholar on the subject and justify the arguments you have made. In politics you have to be able to write with precision, clarity, style and with the power to persuade through argument. The tutorial system embeds this in a way few other institutions can.
Let’s be honest though. It is not just the elite training you get at these institutions that help you break into the world of politics. It is also the networking opportunities these colleges and universities provide, not just whilst you are there, but afterwards. In the UK, a disproportionate amount of our political leaders emerged from the hallowed grounds of Oxford and Cambridge. If you can get to these institutions you become part of a small club that can carry significant weight, particularly with employers who have been to these institutions themselves. Remember the adage, “it’s not what you know , but who you know”.
But what if I do not get into one of these you ask? Well do not panic. There are still very important things that you can do to get ahead. Firstly, think about what degree courses would be most beneficial to a political employer. When I worked in the Houses of Parliament the most common courses studied by the people I worked with were politics, economics, history, philosophy, law, international relations and English. All these will provide the tools you will need to be successful in a parliamentary office.
You can also take some more practical steps that will look great on your CV. Working for the student newspaper or participating in student politics or debating societies can be incredibly valuable training opportunities in the craft of political language and communication. And never underestimate the power of charitable work. Charities often have limited resources and are normally very open to having bright and enthusiastic graduates enter their offices to assist in a variety of roles.
The key is to be proactive. University will be one of the best experiences you will have, but if you can use some of that essential pub and social time to take on responsibilities in a variety of areas, you will really help make your CV stand out.
But remember this, and I cannot emphasise this enough: to work in a modern political office will require at least a 2:1 degree. It is all very well going to a great university but unless you have a 2:1 on your CV you will struggle, not just for jobs in politics, but many other sought after professions.
And on the subject of CVs, the next blog will tackle the crucial CV questions, including how you can get yours noticed in a pile of over 200.
Ben Fellows is a graduate of Oxford University, a former Research Fellow of Berea University in Kentucky and is currently teaching economics, history and the creative arts at the British Fortune School in Beijing.
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