A path to power: a guide to working in professional politics.
The importance of a winning CV
Hello again.
In the previous posts we have looked at the difficulties of breaking into politics; what a “normal” day might look like if you finally get there and the importance of a world class education in fulfilling your ambitions to work in professional politics.
In this article, we will address two crucial practical steps that will help you make the leap from an excellent student to a professional political operative.
As we discussed in the previous articles, the modern political work place is incredibly competitive. Even with an excellent education from a world class university, there is no guarantee that you will be able to find a job in your national or local Parliaments.
So how do you make yourself stand out? How do you realise your potential when the employment field is crowded with equally talented individuals, equally set on fulfilling their political aspirations? The answer is to secure a parliamentary internship and to have a world class CV. Let us start with the internship.
An internship is an opportunity to work in a political office, usually in a low level position and usually (I am afraid to say) for no salary. Now I can hear what you are thinking. Why should I work for free? Well, the truth is, you probably should not be, but unfortunately, the easiest path into a political office is through the process of an internship.
But as well as working for free there is another crucial problem...internships are highly competitive as well! So what can you do? As discussed in the last article, it is vital that you build up a set of skills through extracurricular at Universities that an employer will find attractive. The most obvious for a political environment is to work for the student newspaper, join the debating society, engage in a political forum or work for a charity. This will give you the necessary skills to attract an employer’s attention and hopefully secure that first crucial internship.
When you secure the internship not only will you gain invaluable work experience but you will also start making the initial contacts you will need to secure a full time position in the future. Remember, the internship is your opportunity to distinguish yourself as the best person for any job you apply for in the future. An internship is not only a privilege, but a vital first step on the road to success.
Ok, so you have got the great degree from a great university, you have lots of extracurricular experiences and you have just completed your first internship. What next? You need to make a winning CV!
Now to have got this far you will have had to have had a basic CV already. But now you have completed your internship you want to have the most professional CV imaginable. When I worked in the House of Commons and was in charge of recruiting staff, we would often receive more than 200 applications. At least half of these failed because they were not professional enough. There were some good candidates with good experience who failed to make it to interview because not enough attention was made to their CV.
You might think this is unfair. But in a political environment where attention to detail is essential, and the smallest mistake can lead to a political scandal, your future employers have to be able to see that you have an eye for. Therefore, I strongly suggest that you get your CV made professionally. It may cost some money now, but a professional CV can last you a lifetime, and will definitely help distinguish you from the other job candidates.
Remember, your CV is like that first handshake. Impressions are everything. Politicians do not have the time to interview every candidate so you must make your CV count. It is your first introduction, your first hello, so make sure they remember you.
So you now have your CV. You have completed your internship and you have applied for your first jobs. Then, you get the email or phone call you have been waiting for...you have been invited for an interview!
In the next blog in this series, I will advise you how to really impress your potential future employer, and take that next step on the path to success.
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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