Politics and international relations: Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Public affairs consultant - often referred to as lobbyists, public affairs consultants use their understanding of the political system to provide political and public policy advice to their clients.
• Politician's assistant - provides administrative, research and publicity support for elected politicians, either in their constituency or parliament. These may be Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), Members of the Welsh or Northern Ireland Assembly, or Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
• Government social research officer - provides research input, which helps inform the policy decisions of government ministers. They design, formulate and conduct social research projects and collect, manage and analyse information through a variety of research techniques. The results of which may be used to shape policy or to examine the effectiveness of existing policy.
• Social researcher - designs, implements and manages social research projects in a variety of settings, including independent research institutions, think tanks and trade unions. Collects and analyses information, using a variety of computer software packages to organise the data, which they then present either in written or oral form.
• Civil Service fast streamer - fast-track training programme to work with and for government. Job roles within the Civil Service Fast Stream programme include policy adviser, project leader, consultant and researcher. There is a European fast stream option.

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Diplomatic Services operational officer - promotes and protects British interests abroad. An operational entrant (grade B3) serves a very practical role within the Diplomatic Service.
• Local government officer - deals with the administrative needs of different departments, assists in the development of policies and procedures, and helps coordinate their implementation. It is possible to specialise in an area, such as: finance; personnel; education; social work; and IT.
• Charity officer - the role may vary considerably depending upon the size, aim and type of organisation. In larger organisations, they may focus on a specific area, such as project management, business development, finance, marketing, PR or strategy, whilst in smaller charities the charity officer may undertake multiple tasks. 
• Market researcher - collects data from a variety of sources and uses it to enable informed decision-making in many sectors. May work directly for an organisation, or commonly, for a specialist research agency.
• Newspaper journalist - researches and writes stories for publication in local, regional and national press. Range of roles covering many topics, such as politics, culture, sport, science, events, entertainment, lifestyle and human interest stories. 

Other options

There are a variety of opportunities for politics and international relations graduates to gain valuable experience. Consider volunteering for political campaigns and political parties, human and civil rights organisations like Amnesty International , local, national and international environmental and conservation organisations, charities, global development organisations such as WaterAid  and Oxfam , and the Citizens Advice Bureau . Organisations like campaigning or pressure groups or UK-based charities with an international presence would be particularly suitable for those wishing to pursue an international career.

If you are still a student, consider running for office in your university students’ union or gaining volunteering experience through the university community. Pursuing such roles demonstrates initiative and can provide good leadership experience and opportunities to develop written and spoken communication skills.

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.

Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.