Aber Careers
Your Service/Your Future
Placements, Internships and
Other Valuable Experience
International Politics
Bev Herring
I’m not dismissing the value of higher
education; I’m simply saying it comes at the
expense of experience.
Steve Jobs
Not any more
nearly four-fifths (79%) of students due to graduate
this year have already gained some work experience.
Job advantage for graduates with work experience - survey
The High Fliers study of more than 18,000 university
leavers indicates that graduates who have had
internships are three times as likely to land jobs.
graduate market 2013 - report
If that isn’t reason enough..
• It’s not just CV fodder!
• It will make you more successful in your job
search (prior slide)!!
• Test out career ideas (without committing!)
• Become commercially aware – get a REAL
sense of the industry by being close to the
action.
• Show your passion and enthusiasm – evidence
to employers your motivation for a career
path.
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May ignite your passion and interest!
It’s a gentle intro to the world of work (get work savvy)
Pick up skills
Identify skills you didn’t know you had!!
They may offer you a grad job or strongly recommend
you apply!
• Will enable you to build your contacts – useful for a
heads up about future jobs and recommendations to
other companies/organisations
But be aware that…
• Many placements are unpaid
• Placements are extremely competitive
• Some placements are only open to
postgraduate students
• There may be nationality and language
restrictions on some internships
• You will need to be focussed…think this
through
• You will have to be proactive
• You may need to apply speculatively
• You will need to allow time to find a
placement
What might get YOU an exciting
opportunity?
• Planning and persistence
• Tenacity and determination
• Enthusiasm and passion
Need some help?
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CVs and covering letters
Speculative applications
Work Experience
Networking
Need some help?
Talk to a careers adviser
• Outreach (every other Monday - term time)
InterPol Foyer
• Drop in sessions (15 minutes) available daily on a
first come, first served basis in our office in the
Students’ Union (10.30am-1.00pm)
• Longer (30 minutes) appointments can be booked
through reception– call in or phone on 01970
622378
Placement Options
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Local, Regional and National Government
International Organisations
Think Tanks
Development Agencies
Voluntary Organisations
Accountancy/Law/Journalism/Management
etc…
Consider a year out!
• Year in Employment Scheme (YES)
• Engage in 12 month internship and sandwich scheme
programmes
• With Welsh Government & Houses of parliament to
name a few
Welsh Government | Undergraduate Student Placements
Undergraduate Sandwich Student Placements - UK
Parliament
Search graduate jobs | Prospects.ac.uk
Year in Employment Scheme
• Sign up / Subscribe /
RSS
• Twitter
• Blogs
• Facebook even.....
Useful related resources
• Finding work experience related to international
politics
• Prospects - Work Experience and Internships
everything you need to know about getting work
experience including some case studies.
• http://targetjobs.co.uk/work-experience/workexperience-and-internships-advice
• Jobs and internships in politics.pdf
Useful general info
• http://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/publicservice-charity-and-social-work
• http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_politics_int
ernational_relations_your_skills.htm
• http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/degreesubjects-your-options/301048-what-can-i-dowith-a-politics-degree
EADS (Airbus) opportunities
EADS Jobs - Political Affairs Internship –
Broughton
Run a google search…join them on linked in
Government Affairs Internship at EADS in
Newport, United Kingdom - Job | LinkedIn
UK Government
http://www.w4mpjobs.org/
wide range of internship options – some paid, some not but
you can search just on paid ones. Not just working for MPs
Public affairs and public relations jobs – electus
Information, advice and vacancies
Welsh Government | Work placements
Civil Service &
Public Sector
• Civil Service Work Experience
Offers vacation visit days, short term work
experience and industrial year placements - also
6-9 week Summer Diversity Internship
Programme for UK students with disabilities and
from ethnic minorities.
Individual Civil Service Departments
• Directory of public sector organisations
Can be accessed with an ac.uk email address
Useful for proactive searches.
• Local Government jobs – advertises occasional
internships
International Organisations
Need to plan on a long term basis!
• few opportunities for new graduates to work
in this field other than as an intern or
volunteer.
• Experience often required – build through
other work (private/public), getting
international experience and developing
language skills
• An “international organisation” may be “intergovernmental”, such as the UN or EU, or “nongovernmental”, such as a charity or
campaigning organisation.
European Union
EuroBrussels
Extensive database of internships and jobs in Brussels
(+ international organisations and NGOs – including list of
internship links) as well as good careers advice.
European Union
Traineeship - Council of Europe
Unpaid (no expenses either) traineeship for
graduates wishing to acquire practical
experience and knowledge of the functioning
and activities of the Council of Europe
1st session – 17-03-2014 to 31-07-2014 (open
now)
2nd session – 09-2014 to 01-2015 (not yet open)
EU Institutes
(5 month) Traineeships are available at a number of
EU institutions, principally at those listed below:
• The European Commission http://ec.europa.eu/stages/index_en.htm
• The Council of
Europe www.consilium.europa.eu/contacts/traineeshipsoffice?lang=en
• The European Parliament – information on traineeships and study
visits
www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?language
=EN&id=147
• The European Court of Justice
http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/Jo2_10338/informations-generales
• The Directorate-General for Translation
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/workwithus/trainee/index_en.ht
m
‘Euro Fringe’
• EuroBrussels www.eurobrussels.com links to jobs available
and vacancy information pages in most organisations and
corporations located in Brussels including European
institutions, international organisations, law firms, NGOs
and political consultancies.
• Brussels Jobs www.brusselsJobs.com focuses on nonpolitical expert jobs in the international environment in
Brussels . Lists IT jobs, business jobs, office/secretarial jobs,
finance jobs, and other specialist jobs in Brussels , for the
expat professional.
• EurActiv www.EurActiv.com : search for EU related jobs and
internships in Brussels and Europe . Includes European
Commission, International Agencies, NGOs, consultancies,
Industry federations, and think tanks.
The United Nations
Positions in the UN and its agencies normally require
substantial experience and relevant professional
qualifications. Although internships of up to 6 months
are available throughout the year for graduates
without experience, the UN has no provision in its
budget to pay interns and all costs involved must be
paid by the interns themselves.
UN career opportunities
• UN Careers http://careers.un.org career options, career paths, internships,
how to apply, etc.
• Explore a career with the UN www.un.org/en/employment
• For current vacancies in the UN (at all levels) see www.unjobs.org This can
be searched by organisation, location, etc.
• A Guide to a Career with the United Nations Pdf guide to employment in
the UN
• UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe www.unric.org includes a page on employment and internships and links to UN agencies
in the UK (and other Western European countries)
• Facebook www.facebook.com/UN.Careers
• Twitter http://twitter.com/un_careers
• LinkedIn http://linkd.in/un_careers
UN (United Nations)
UN Opportunities - Internships
The internship listing for UN organisations. Keep scrolling
down - this is a fantastic site!
International Civil Service Commission
Links to vacancy pages of UN organisations - including
internships
United Nations Information Centres
UN Information Centres/Country Offices directory. Worth
applying speculatively.
Be aware that many internships are open to
postgraduate students only and that most are unpaid.
UN’s On-line Volunteering Service
NATO
NATO HQ runs an Internship Programme which aims to provide a small number of
current or recent students with the opportunity to intern with the International Staff
at NATO Headquarters in Brussels in the following areas:
• Defence Policy and Planning
• Executive Management
• NATO Office of Security
• Operations
• Political Affairs and Security Policy
• Public Diplomacy
The application process opens in spring for internships starting in September and
March and last for six months. They are paid: €800 per month. A working knowledge
of both English and French is required. See NATO - Application Instructions full details
For recruitment into NATO at other levels,
see www.nato.int/structur/recruit/index.htm
Most permanent staff come from a background in the armed forces or civil and
diplomatic services of member states
OSCE (Organisation for Security & Co-operation in
Europe)
The OSCE offers unpaid internships, lasting from 2- 6
months, in Vienna and Prague.
See www.osce.org/employment/91 for full details
English Speaking Union – unpaid (applications open in
December 2013)
http://www.esu.org/programmes/scholarships/students/
parliamentary-internships
http://www.policyjobs.net/ Information and vacancies –
link to Policyjobs.
Searchable directory of think tanks worldwide.
Some services only available to members.
A number of internships have open access (paid and unpaid).
Development Work
• Work in international development can include healthcare,
education, equality, government, human rights, disaster
prevention/relief, infrastructure, economics, sustainability, human
rights, migration, security, conflict, agriculture, the environment,
small business development, project finance etc.
• Jobs may be based in a head office in the developed world or “in
the field” and include administration, research, fundraising,
training, consultancy, logistics, relief work and professional roles in
healthcare, engineering and planning.
• For more about the role, see the International Aid/Development
worker job
description: www.prospects.ac.uk/international_aid_development_
worker_job_description.htm
Points to Consider:
• Developing countries need people with hard skills - Your desire to help
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others, or your desire to travel, or your ambition, are not enough to work for the
United Nations or any other international humanitarian or development
organization. Developing countries need people with hard skills, skills they don't
have (but that they want). They want to be paid to build their own schools, clean
up after disasters themselves, care for their children, etc.(Jayne Craven, Coyote
Communications) www.coyotecommunications.com/stuff/workabroad.shtml
Skill-sharing is a two-way process: the development worker will share their skills
and knowledge with a partner organisation and/or with various communities and
actors, and in return s/he also acquires and develops new skills and knowledge. A
development worker is someone who is clearly committed to development, to
fighting poverty and injustice, and has the flexibility and openness to work and live
in a different socio-political, cultural and geographical
setting.(Progressio) www.progressio.org.uk/content/what-development-worker
If you are considering a career in international development … you should bear in
mind that most agencies are looking for a combination of qualifications and
several years’ relevant work experience.(Practical
Action) http://practicalaction.org/becoming-involved-in-internationaldevelopment-1 (info on courses to develop skills sought by NGOs)
Some skills and
attributes sought
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Patience
Cultural understanding
Adaptability
Commitment to the cause
Willingness to roll with the
punches
Perseverance
Language skills
Diplomacy
Broad range of international
experience
Tact
• Fundraising/grant writing
• Technical – engineering specialties
(water, energy, etc)
• Health – public
health/doctors/nurses
• Legal training
• Financial/ accounting
• Public
relations/communications/media
• Economic development expertise
• Management (general
admin/project/logistics)
Some roles sought
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midwives
civil engineers
financial managers
IT managers
database developers
emergency response
managers
weavers
sanitation experts
green builders
vocational teachers
lawyers and paralegals
accountant trainers
police trainers
wine makers
cheese makers
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nurses
car mechanic school
instructors
photographers
solar energy experts
farmers and ranchers
agricultural marketing
professionals
potato chop
manufacturing experts
juvenile justice experts
domestic/household
engineers
nutrition experts
restaurant management
trainers
regional tourism experts
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university journalism
teachers
fire fighting instructors
tree nursery managers
animal shelter managers
mass transit planners
logistics experts
How can I gain
experience in development?
There are three main ways
• as a tourist/traveller
• as a volunteer - in a developing country, in the UK or in another developed
country
• as an employee - in a developing country, in the UK or in another
developed country (need experience)
The first two are often blurred: “volontourism”, where participants pay around £2000 for a
volunteer placement that may be as short as two weeks.
There are many responsible organisations involved in this field, but there is controversy about the necessity for,
and ethics of, “voluntourism”. For discussions of this issue, see: The Guardian http://bit.ly/bgr4ov
Independent travel in developing countries, undertaken with an open mind and cultural awareness and
sensitivity, can be just as beneficial as an organised volunteer programme.
Widening understanding of
International development
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Coyote Communications www.coyotecommunications.com useful resources from
an international development consultant
Development in Action www.developmentinaction.org
Development Worker www.developmentworker.com US site with careers advice
and links to organisations
Experience Development www.experiencedevelopment.org includes links to IGOs
and NGOs and also banks and commercial organisations linked to development
Panos Institute www.panos.org.uk produces information for media on global
development issues with a developing world perspective
Restless Development www.restlessdevelopment.org youth-led development
agency
Think Global www.think-global.org.uk formerly the Development Education
Network .
A Good Place to Start: www.ids.ac.uk/go/agoodplacetostart downloadable list of
good places to start your search on over 30 development themes, from the IDS at
Sussex University
I Want to Work In the United
Nations www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/internationalorg.htm#un
Getting in (to International development)
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www.facebook.com/internationaldevelopment forum for those developing
careers in International Development, from the Careers Group, University of
London
Guardian Careers – including Q&A sessions with international development
experts http://careers.guardian.co.uk/international-development
Guardian Global Development pages www.guardian.co.uk/global-development
Personal qualities of a development
worker www.progressio.org.uk/content/personal-qualities-development-worker
Working in International Development - advice from World Service
Enquiry www.wse.org.uk/core/wid.htm
Institute of Development Studies www.eldis.org
Directory of Development Organisations www.devdir.org free listings by region,
country and sector
Changing
Lives http://practicalaction.org/docs/jobs/changing_lives_working_in_int_devel
opment.pdf
Jobs and Internships in
International Development
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AidJobs http://aidjobs.org
Bond (British Overseas NGOs for Development) www.bond.org.uk/pages/internships-andvolunteering.html
Department for International Development (DfID) www.dfid.gov.uk/work-with-us/workingfor-dfid/jobs runs an annual graduate scheme
Job Vacancies and Internship Information from the IDS at Sussex
University www.ids.ac.uk/go/alumni/job-vacancies-and-internship-information
Idealist www.idealist.org thousands of not-for-profit and community organisations
worldwide which you can search or browse by name, location, or mission for volunteer
opportunities, jobs and internships.
Oneworld www.oneworldgroup.org/jobs
Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) www.oecd.org runs a
“Young Professionals Programme” for Masters graduates
Overseas Development Institute (ODI) www.odi.org.ukAnnual Fellowship scheme for
postgraduate Economists to work for two years in the public sector of African, Caribbean and
Pacific countries
2Way Development www.2waydevelopment.com places 100’s of volunteers overseas every
year to work alongside development charities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle
East.
NGOs
• www.idealist.org (NGOs and more)
Key site with searchable vacancy database
• http://uk.oneworld.net/
Key site for development info – a few vacancies
available but excellent topic guides
• www.experiencedevelopment.org
Vacancies and information
• www.devnetjobs.org/
Subscribe to free email bulletin or subscribe to
Value Membership service
NGOs offering internships
The following organisations have advertised internships for recent
graduates in the past: please check their websites for current
information before contacting them.
• BASIC (British-American Security Information Council) Jobs &
Internships internships in London and Washington
• CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) www.cnduk.org
• Foreign Policy Centre http://fpc.org.uk/internships
• Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org
• International Crisis
Group www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=1154&l=1
• Justice Africa www.justiceafrica.org/internships
• Rights & Humanity www.rightsandhumanity.org
• RUSI ( Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security
Studies) www.rusi.org/about/vacancies
Volunteering
• www.vso.org.uk
• http://www.vso.org.uk/volunteer/opportuniti
es/for-18-25-year-olds/
• www.wwv.org.uk
• www.unitedeurobridge.org
NGO Directories
• www.bond.org.uk/
over 350 UK-based organisations + vacancies
page
• www.charitychoice.co.uk
The encyclopaedia of charities on the internet
- searchable directory of UK-based voluntary
organisations, no vacancy page
• www.charityjob.co.uk
Searchable vacancy database for jobs and
internships
Graduate employers
offering internships
• http://targetjobs.co.uk/graduate-jobs/workexperience
Think about..
• Why you want to do a placement
• How a placement might fit in with any future
plans
• How you might best use and develop your
skills, knowledge and experience
• How you can maximise your chances of
success…
• Undertaking a one year placement before
your final year - YES
• Doing a placement after you graduate
How we can help
• Outreach – alternate Mondays (during term
time) in the InterPol Foyer
• Drop in – 15mins no need to book
• One to one guidance - bookable
• Resources online www.aber.ac.uk/careers and
take home - available in the Union Careers
Office
Union Careers Office
Open weekdays 10am – 5pm (Friday 4pm)
Daily drop in support 10.30 – 1pm
• Email: careers@aber.ac.uk
• Web: www.aber.ac.uk/careers
Facebook: www.facebook.com/abercareers
Twitter: @abercareers
Phone: 01970 622378