JOB TITLE
Postgraduate Student and Parliamentary Intern

INDUSTRY
Postgraduate Study/Politics

EMPLOYER
LSE/Sajid Javid MP

I originally come from Surrey, and during my time at Kent, I studied Politics and International Relations. My interests include politics, musicals, travelling, and trying out new restaurants and cafes, which is why I enjoyed my time living in Canterbury!

I found out about the course whilst researching different courses and universities online. I was very impressed by the range of modules available compared to other universities, and I really liked the campus when I attended the open day.

I completed a number of internships before and during my time at Kent to improve my CV. I was also on the committee of Kent University Conservative Association (KUCA), where I was Secretary in second year and Chairman in third year. I also attended Debating and Model United Nations, where I attended a conference at Reading University. Societies played a very important role during my time at Kent; they’re a great way to make friends and meet like minded people, and I met some of my good friends through societies.

Since my gap year before university I have tried to gain as much work experience as possible. Over the years I have done internships in Parliament, the Civil Service, the charity sector and in public affairs. These internships have been proven to be very valuable since they have allowed me to broaden my skills, as well as providing me with a clearer idea of what I want to do following my studies.

Today, I am studying for my Masters in Public Policy and Administration at the LSE, and I intern for Sajid Javid MP once a week as part of the LSE Parliamentary Internship Scheme. The scheme was one of the reasons why I applied to LSE, and even though I had already completed an internship in Parliament, I really wanted to return to gain more experience.

During my internship in Parliament I assisted with organising the annual jobs fair in Bromsgrove, which is Sajid’s constituency. This involved recruiting local and national businesses to exhibit, as well as other administrative tasks relating to the fair. I was very fortunate to help out on the day, especially since my previous internship in Parliament didn’t involve constituency visits. It ended up being the biggest Bromsgrove jobs fair yet, and I was very glad to hear that attendees were receiving job offers in a matter of weeks after the fair took place.

I think that my time at university shaped my principles, and since graduation they’ve been reinforced. Before university I didn’t care much about networking or setting goals, and I was too scared to try new things. However, during my time at university and my internships I realised that these principles were very beneficial.

The one piece of advice I would offer to current students is get some relevant work experience or get involved with societies while you’re still at university. The job market is very competitive, so it is very important to stand out. However, make sure it doesn’t get in the way with your studies.