Public Affairs Links - Careers Advice

Careers Advice

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Getting in to the lobbying industry is difficult. Although the industry is growing, so is the popularity of the work amongst colleges and university graduates. Public affairs firms tend to be small companies, or small arms of larger communication service organisations.

However, do not give up hope. There are many opportunities to break in to the field, and as with most professions, the first step on to the ladder is always the toughest. Be prepared to try, try and try again.

Advice

To give yourself the upper hand as a graduate, experience is the key. All applicants for public affairs jobs are likely to demonstrate good academic capabilities, an impressive range of skills and commitment to the field. The most effective way to distinguish yourself from the pack is to point to concrete evidence of you enthusiasm. If nothing is obviously available for you in the lobbying industry now, look for other opportunities in closely-related fields. Public relations experience can give you a sense of the type of work done in communication service industries. Internships with UK MPs (also found at w4mp) are also an extremely helpful addition to a CV.

Graduate Schemes

The minimum requirements expected of most graduates are a good 2:1 degree, a proven interest in politics and strong writing and communication ability. Without these, getting an interview will be very difficult. However, genuine working experience in the political world can count for a huge amount and go someway to making up for a weaker academic record.

Many of the larger firms run graduate schemes during autumn/winter (Edelman, Four Communications and Fishburn Hedges, along with many others). Keeping an eye out for these on the company websites is an important first step. These usually involve a couple of interviews, a number of tests and perhaps an assessment day. Applications flood in for these schemes though, so an impressive CV is essential.

Internships

For those who do not succeed through a scheme, or perhaps are not 100% sure on whether the industry is definitely the career for them, an consultancy internship presents an attractive short-term way in. Often poorly paid or not at all, internships carry an economic cost but are an invaluable source of experience. They tend to last between one and three months. At worst, you will earn good CV points, at best, your performance may earn you a full-time job offer on completion of the internship contract. Some companies advertise internship opportunities on their web sites (FD-LLM, Fleishman-Hillard), whilst others use the w4mp vacancies list.



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