A path to power: a guide to working in professional politics.
The Interview
“Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more”
So congratulations, you’ve been shortlisted for interview for the dream job or internship you’ve always wanted! Well done – many jobs with politicians receive well over 200 hundred applications, and you’re one of probably just half a dozen people who’ve made their applications stand out by successfully highlighting your skills and experience.
Your prospective employer can already sense you’re capable of doing the job, now you have to use the interview to prove you’re capable of getting things done efficiently and to a high standard – whilst generally being a considerate and reliable colleague who will be a valuable addition to the MP’s small team.
Preparation
The key to a successful job interview is good preparation. Try to divide your preparation into manageable chunks and research, research and research some more.
Try and cover the following areas, which you will no doubt have to talk about in the interview -
The Politician
You need to be able to show a good understanding of your prospective employer’s political interests and how can you contribute to developing them. Remember, politicians are very busy people and they’ll be looking for someone who can slot into the team with the minimum of fuss or difficulty.
- their portfolio within their party, what interests you about it and what experience you have of related issues
- any All Party Groups of which they are members
- recent questions they have tabled or debates they have taken part in
- local issues in their constituency they have been involved in. Are there burning constituency issues, such as post office closures, transport problems, environmental concerns?
Tip – all politicians have different ways of organising and managing their staff. Some will wander in and out of the office occasionally and expect you to quietly do as told with little other interaction or interest. Others will float around your office, bothering your printer and asking for your opinion on everything from top secret internal party politics to which colour tie they should wear. Often the distinction depends on age, with some of the younger MPs having a more modern, relaxed approach to their relationships with their staff. Try and figure out the type your prospective employer is.
The Party
You also need to show that you identify with the aims and values of the politicians party. Make sure you know what the values and ideals of the party are and use examples to show you can identify with these. For example, you may be attracted to the party because of its environmental policy, so you can show you identify with this by talking about your university campaigning for green issues, etc.
- Remember what attracted you to the Party in the first place – was it Party philosophy or any specific policies which you admired?
- How you first got involved and your more recent activity – elections or campaigns, etc.
- Have an opinion on the future of the party – what are its current strengths and weaknesses? How is it being portrayed by the media?
- Which policy areas need development? Are there any areas of policy you think are weak and may disagree with?
- How do you think the next election will play out? What will be the main issues to campaign on in the run up to the next Election?
Remember: for all of your answers, you need to be able to say why you think this way and give examples.
The Job
While of course you don’t know what questions will be thrown at you, you can certainly prepare for questions it seems sensible to expect. Keep in your head a statement including 3 or 4 points which will cover why you are interested in the job, why you are suitable for it and what you can bring to the role. Something along these lines will almost certainly be one of the opening questions and thorough preparation in this area can get you off to a flying start, creating confidence which can last through the interview. Again, try and emphasise you have excellent knowledge of what the job entails, so you can replace or assist the current researcher/caseworker in the smoothest of possible transitions.
Tip – On the morning of your interview, check the news and look for any stories relating to the MP, the Party or the portfolio area. If there are, take some time to read up, the politician may ask you directly for your thoughts or you may be able to show you’re on the ball with current events by mentioning it yourself.
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