Skip to main content

Social Research and Policy Work

Research careers and find opportunities in social research and policy work

About

Social research and policy work explores policies, institutions, and market forces. It looks at how these impact on society and social justice.

Social researchers design, carry out and analyse research to understand society. They examine attitudes, beliefs, social structures, and cultures. They also look at the impact of government policies and practices on the wider community.

Issues covered include housing, employment, income, health, and education.

Policy advisers give communities and decision makers problem solving recommendations. This can be for government, industry and in non-profit and private sectors.

Graduates can have social research or policy careers in a range of organisations. These include:

  • local and central government
  • political parties
  • voluntary organisations
  • think tanks
  • NGOs
  • charities
  • academia
  • consultancies
  • pressure groups

Social researchers are also employed in commercial market research organisations. They can additionally work for independent research institutes.

Typical activities include:

  • conducting research and literature review
  • receiving instructions and project briefs from clients
  • directing/undertaking pilot studies and fieldwork
  • collecting, analysing and interpreting qualitative and/or quantitative data. This can be from telephone interviews, focus groups, questionnaires and in-depth interview
  • presenting research results
  • identifying and advising about possible strategies
  • controlling budgets
  • arranging meetings and events
  • providing administrative support, eg maintaining databases and records

The job can be stressful. Researchers work to tight deadlines. Some evening and weekend work may be necessary. Work is generally office-based, but can involve local, national and international travel.

In some roles, short-term contracts are common.

Opportunities for freelance or consultancy work can be possible for experienced researchers.

Jobs are available throughout the UK, particularly in university towns and cities. Some sectors of employment are more concentrated in London and the South East.

Roles, skills and salaries

The range of organisations and sectors you can work in is varied. You can find opportunities in areas like as local and central government. There are roles in research institutes, higher education, in think tanks, unions and charities and in the public and private sector.

Job profiles

Have a look at Prospects to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:

Skills employers look for

Roles in this area rely on knowledge, expertise, and initiative.

Other skills required will be role specific, but may include:

  • research, evaluation and analytical skills
  • excellent written and verbal communication
  • organisation skills and problem solving
  • proactivity, flexibility, adaptability
  • attention to detail
  • ability to construct coherent arguments and present clear conclusions and recommendations
  • managing conflicting deadlines and working under pressure
  • handling numerical data
  • IT proficiency
  • interpersonal skills and confidentiality
  • understanding of policy making processes
  • a passion for current affairs and the media
  • ability to thrive in a fast-moving, pressurised working environment
Salaries

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position.

To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources:

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.

Be inspired

It’s not always easy to know which roles to apply for. The resources in this section can help you find inspiration from previous students and know where to get further support.

Inspiration from people working in the industry
  • browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed
  • use LinkedIn’s Alumni tool to find out what Newcastle graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Newcastle Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on Getting inspiration from others [3:13]
  • attend alumni events, such as Newcastle Develop, to hear directly from our graduates
  • sign up for mentoring support with Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project. These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting
  • attend events, such as recruitment events and employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions
Online reviews

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:

Not sure what you want to do?

If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.

Explore career planning advice
Making career choices
Exploring your options

Sector and industry insights

Researching the industry is essential, whether it’s to:

  • help you decide which area to work in
  • identify who to apply to
  • tailor your application
  • impress an interviewer with your knowledge of the sector

Here are some resources to help you get started.

Career guides

Read career guides for this sector, such as:

Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.

For example:

See also our events, including our recruitment events and employer & sector insights.

Student societies

Join related student societies such as those involved in advocacy. These often organise and promotes events or invite guest speakers to talk about their careers.

Social media

Use social media to find industry insights

Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.

Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Professional bodies

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network

Professional bodies often:

  • run networking events
  • have specialist groups you could join
  • post vacancies on behalf of their members
  • have member directories, useful for speculative applications

Key organisations include:

Finding professional bodies worldwide

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.

Guide to finding opportunities

Opportunities are available across a range of sectors sectors. These include:

  • local and central government
  • political parties
  • voluntary organisations
  • think tanks
  • NGOs
  • charities
  • academia
  • consultancies
  • pressure groups
  • commercial market research organisations.
  • independent research institutes.

Look at our other Explore Occupations pages to find additional sources of vacancies.

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.

  • search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below
  • look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities. Use Researching Employers to help you gain insights into companies
  • attend events such as recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights
  • contact employers speculatively – see non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs to help you find organisations to approach
  • follow companies on social media for latest news and updates
  • consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs
  • register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners
  • ask family and friends if they have any useful contacts who may be able to offer you work experience
  • consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
  • create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance

Advertised work experience

Advertised opportunities are rare in this field. Where the exist, placements and summer internships are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some organisations will also consider first and final year students.

When to apply

Apply for advertised opportunities as early as possible.

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.

Search for internships and placement years

Use our resources to get started:

Search the following external sites for more opportunities:

NCL Internships

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage

Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.

You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.

Worldwide experience

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world.
Looking for ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.

Advertised graduate opportunities

When to apply

The resources in this section advertise both graduate jobs and graduate schemes. See our graduate jobs page to understand the difference between them.

Graduate schemes are rare in this sector, but where they exist, you should apply as early as possible.

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.

Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies.

Vacancy sites (All sectors)

Use our resources to get started:

  • MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
  • Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites

Search the external sites below for more opportunities in social research research and policy roles.

Vacancy sites

The following organisations offer graduate level vacancies and occasionally advertise internships:

More vacancy sites

Worldwide vacancy sites

European institution vacancy sites

See International jobs for details of more overseas vacancy sites.

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world

Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs

Many internships, placements and graduate jobs in this area are not advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:

A speculative approach is common for finding work experience and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available.

How to access hidden opportunities

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.

2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.

3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.

4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!

When to contact organisations

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you:

  • start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts
  • contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin
How to find organisations
  • find organisations on MyCareer. Select ‘search' then 'organisations’
  • use the business directories and databases on our Researching employers page
  • search for companies on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working
  • browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed
UK organisations

Use the following resources to find vacancies and research employers:

See also

  • targetjobs - search employers by sector, eg charity, public & civil service
  • professional body websites sometimes include member directories, which are helpful for finding employers.
Worldwide organisations

Search GoinGlobal's employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world.

Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs in social research and policy work. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course. In this field some agencies look for candidates with at least 2-3 years’ experience.

Specialist agencies include:

Researchjobfinder.com have a directory of employers which includes specialist recruitment agencies

See Recruitment Agencies to find more agencies.

Finding overseas recruitment agencies

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:

  • staffing agencies and temporary help firms
  • executive recruiters and search firms

Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.

Other ways to gain relevant experience

We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience.

  • complete a free virtual internship. For example, with Forage, you can filter by career interest to find virtual internships including government and social policy
  • sign up for free online courses to develop new skills. Attending short courses can be an effective introduction to new methods or techniques.
  • build a portfolio of work to demonstrate your skills and interest. For example, you could blog about issues that interest you.
  • attend events and network to make contacts and connections
  • enter a related competition - prizes can often include internships. For example the The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland's Tom Morrison Essay Prize. This is an annual essay competition for people interested in governance, an area strongly related to policy careers.
  • volunteer for a charity or voluntary organisation. See Volunteering for more opportunities
  • working in an administrative role or general office-based experience can be a useful way to develop relevant skills. See our Part-time Jobs section for vacancies

See our other Sector-specific pages for information on gaining experience in related sectors.

Study and training

There is no single route to employment in this field. A combination of work experience with post graduate level education is becoming increasingly essential.

Most entering this field will need a first degree or postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject area. This could be for example, social policy, policy studies, or politics.

It's possible to move into social research straight after obtaining a related degree. This is more likely if your course includes social research methods and statistics.

Some employers expect entrants to have a more advanced knowledge of research techniques. For example, in the Civil Service, many people applying for research posts have Master's or PhDs in social science subjects.

Before deciding to do a postgraduate qualification, do your research. Examine vacancies in the area you want to specialise. Research what qualifications and experience employers are asking for.

Most vacancies in this sector need relevant experience. Consider whether it is more beneficial for you to gain experience before or after further study.

For more information on postgraduate study and funding, see Further Study.

Work for yourself

Opportunities for freelance or consultancy work can be possible for experienced researchers.

Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:

  • support with idea generation
  • provide tailored advice
  • help you develop your skills
  • introduce you to like-minded peers
  • refer you to further support from mentors
  • award grant funding up to £3,000
Find out about START UP

Related sectors

Our occupational guides can help you explore and consider your options. If you’re interested in social research and policy work, you may also be interested in:

Or see our other Explore Occupations pages for more options.

Find vacancies
Book an appointment