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Government, Politics and Public Affairs

Find out more and research careers in government, politics and public affairs

About

Graduates can find roles in huge variety of careers. This ranges from central and local government to intelligence and security agencies.

Central government, local government and trade unions

Central government includes government ministerial departments such as the Ministry of Justice.

It also includes non-ministerial departments such as the Government Legal Department.

The Civil Service performs the practical and administrative work of government. Civil servants are politically impartial employees. They carry out the policies of the government departments under the control of elected ministers. All employees must comply with the Civil Service Code.

Recruitment to the UK Civil Service is subject to strict nationality rules.

Intelligence and security agencies

The UK Government has intelligence agencies within several different government departments. The main UK Intelligence and security agencies are:

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6). MI6 work secretly overseas, developing foreign contacts and gathering intelligence. They help the UK navigate risks to national security, military effectiveness and the economy.

The Security Service (MI5) protect national security. Their particular focus is threats such as terrorism, espionage and sabotage. Their work is guided by the government's overall strategy to counter threats to the UK's national security.

Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Their focus is intelligence, cyber and security agency with a mission to keep the UK safe.

Defence Intelligence (DI) is part of the Ministry of Defence and focuses on strategic defence intelligence. It provides intelligence products, assessments and advice to:

  • guide policy decisions about the commitment and employment of the Armed Forces
  • to inform defence research and equipment programmes
  • to support military operations.
Local government

Local authorities have a wide range of powers and duties. National policy is set by central government, but local councils are responsible for all day-to-day services and local matters.

The Local Government Graduate Programme details the local government graduate management development programme.

Local government careers span a wide range of job roles.

Trade unions

Trade unions are organised groups of employees. They work to protect and improve conditions and treatment in the workplace. Trade Union activity may involve advice, representation, negotiation and education. At national head office level, trade union roles might involve:

  • developing national policy
  • developing learning and education programmes
  • working in media relations
  • negotiating with employers' organisations, political parties and government.
Lobbying, campaigning and public affairs

Public affairs is also known as 'lobbying' or 'government affairs'. Public affairs consultants advise clients using knowledge of political processes and policies.

They work with parliaments, governments and non-departmental public bodies to influence political decision-makers.

There are various routes into public affairs. Some graduates join the industry straight from university. Others move from a related profession later on in their careers.

Public affairs consultants usually work for consultancies on behalf of clients. They can also work in house for organisations such as:

  • charities
  • pressure groups
  • think tanks
  • private companies
  • public sector bodies

Consultancies can be independent, and are often small. The majority of independent consultancies are in London or Brussels. They are also located in major cities including Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

Consultancies can also be part of a larger public relations (PR) agency. These can have a specialised public affairs or government relations department.

Public affairs consultants keep updated with current trends and issues in politics. They track policy decisions, reacting to any developments which could affect their clients. They also work with clients to raise their profiles and influence government policy.

Roles, skills and salaries

The range of roles available in government, politics and public affairs is huge and can suit graduates with a variety of skills. You can find opportunities in various roles, ranging from working in an intelligence agency to a trade union.

Job profiles

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

Civil service

Intelligence and security agencies

Local government

Trade unions

Political parties

Skills employers look for
  • proactivity, flexibility, adaptability and self–awareness
  • attention to detail
  • capacity to build and develop productive relationships
  • resourcefulness
  • research skills, evaluation and analytical skills
  • the ability to construct coherent, reasoned arguments and present clear conclusions and recommendations
  • ability to manage conflicting deadlines and work under pressure
  • ability to handle numerical data
  • IT proficiency
  • interpersonal skills, confidentiality and sensitivity to others
  • understanding of the policy making process and a passion for current affairs and the media
  • a strong academic record
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 including recruitment fairs 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

Central Government

Intelligence

Trade Unions

EU institutions

It is likely you have to be an EU citizen to work for EU institutions, so British citizens may not be eligible to apply.

Local government

Central government

  • Working for an MP - a resource for anyone working for a British Member of Parliament or with an interest in how Parliament works
  • 50:50 Parliament – aimed at recruiting more women into politics

Public affairs

Industry news

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews.

Examples include:

Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.

See our Events and workshops page for upcoming events, including recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights. 

Student societies

There are many relevant student societies to government, politics and public affairs. Some suggestions include:

These societies often organise and promote events or invites 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 and subscribe to our sector Twitter list.

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:

Central government and Civil Service

  • The FDA – union for senior managers and professionals in Public Service.

Local government

Trade unions

Lobbying, campaigning and public affairs

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

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities.

Direct work experience opportunities can be limited in this sector. Ways to get started could include:

  • getting any office-based experience will be helpful. However, we would recommend trying to find opportunities close to your chosen area. See our Part-time Jobs section for vacancies
  • Gov UK - Get involved - lists diverse ways to engage with government directly. You can take part locally, nationally or internationally. These include:
  • for trade union work, it could be valuable to be active in the students’ union. Run for committee in a student society
  • join and be active in your political party. Parties want to hire staff who are sympathetic to their aims and values. Being active within a party will allow you to gain valuable work experience, better understand the culture and make contacts. You’re also more likely to hear about potential job opportunities when they arise
  • volunteer for local party campaigning work. This is likely to be unpaid but you will be able to understand the party, make contacts and learn. Volunteering on campaigns can help with speculative applications to MPs
  • do campaign work for other local organisations such as charities and voluntary organisations. Working for an organisation lobbying Parliament can help you understand how politics works
  • do voluntary work or an internship working in an MP/MSP/MEP office. Getting experience with your local MP can give you an advantage when looking for jobs. Working as a parliamentary researcher can also be a useful route in
  • get involved with a political party. You may support a local candidate or work in the party's national communication teams. You may be able to get experience in a trade union, think tank or public sector body
  • campaigning work for a charity or pressure group
  • if you can’t find work experience within politics or public affairs, you could look for opportunities in public relations or media. This would give you an insight into communications work

Other ways to get started include:

  • search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below
  • look at the careers sections on organisation 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 Finding Hidden Opportunities to help you find organisations to approach
  • follow organisations 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

Placements and summer internships are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some companies 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

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

When to apply

For graduate schemes, apply as early as possible.

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as the middle of October. 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

Use these 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
  • Civil Service: Civil Service Jobs

Intelligence and security agencies

Local government

European institutions

For most of these roles, you will need to be an EU citizen, meaning solely British citizens will not be able to apply.

Parliament

  • UK Parliament - House of Commons jobs, House of Lords or Parliamentary Digital Service jobs

Trade unions

Political parties

  • w4mp - jobs site
  • UK Parliament - Houses of Parliament official site, includes vacancies
  • DODS group - specialist recruitment for politics and public affairs

Political party websites also list vacancies, including:

Lobbying, campaigning and public affairs

Some larger public affairs consultancies offer graduate entry roles. Examples include:

You may also find public or government affairs graduate roles in large corporations and charities, such as:

Worldwide vacancy sites

See International jobs for details of 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

Not all internships, placements and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:

A speculative approach is common for finding internships and placements 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

Use the resources below to find organisations in the North East, UK and worldwide.

UK organisations

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 government, politics and public affairs. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.

Specialist agencies include:

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.

  • getting any office-based experience will be helpful. However, we would recommend trying to find opportunities close to your chosen area. See our Part-time Jobs section for vacancies
  • Gov UK - Get involved - lists diverse ways to engage with government directly. You can take part locally, nationally or internationally. These include:
  • for trade union work, it could be valuable to be active in the students’ union. Run for committee in a student society
  • join and be active in your political party. Parties want to hire staff who are sympathetic to their aims and values. Being active within a party will allow you to gain valuable work experience, better understand the culture and make contacts. You’re also more likely to hear about potential job opportunities when they arise
  • volunteer for local party campaigning work. This is likely to be unpaid but you will be able to understand the party, make contacts and learn. Volunteering on campaigns can help with speculative applications to MPs
  • do campaign work for other local organisations such as charities and voluntary organisations. Working for an organisation lobbying Parliament can help you understand how politics works
  • do voluntary work or an internship working in an MP/MSP/MEP office. Getting experience with your local MP can give you an advantage when looking for jobs. Working as a parliamentary researcher can also be a useful route in
  • get involved with a political party. You may support a local candidate or work in the party's national communication teams. You may be able to get experience in a trade union, think tank or public sector body
  • campaigning work for a charity or pressure group
  • if you can’t find work experience within politics or public affairs, you could look for opportunities in public relations or media. This would give you an insight into communications work

Other ideas

  • complete a free virtual internship. For example, with Forage, you can filter by career interest to find virtual internships.
  • sign up for free online courses to develop new skills such as campaigning or debating
  • attend events and network to make contacts and connections, eg through party conferences or professional bodies listed above
  • enter a politics related competition - prizes can often include internships. For example
  • volunteer for any of the parties or organisations. See 'How to find opportunities' and volunteering for more opportunities

Work for yourself

Working as self-employed or freelance is common in the politics sector, generally later on in your career.

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

Related sectors

Our occupational guides can help you explore and consider your options. If you’re interested in government, politics and public affairs you may also be interested in: 

 

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