Life outside academia, ESRC & BPS
internships: The application, the
interview and the experience
Hannah Swift
h.j.swift@kent.ac.uk
• Type of internships available
• Making applications
– ESRC
– BPS
• Internship experience
– ESRC Cabinet Office
– BPS Parliamentary Office of Science and
Technology (POST)
ESRC – Internships available
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Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
British Heart Foundation
Department for Communities & Local Government
Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affair (DEFRA)
Home Office
Law Commission
Ministry of Justice
The Scottish Government
Thomas Pocklington Trust
Unchosen
Welsh Government (WAG)
Westminster Drug Project
http://goo.gl/BM2EU
Closing date 30th March 2012
Application
• Summary of PhD topic (max 300 words)
– Framed in terms of issues the PhD addresses
• Statement on your reasons for applying, what
do you hope to gain from the internship?
(max 300 words)
• CV
Over the past two years I have concentrated on the link between research and
policy in the areas of ageing, fairness and equality.
I have attended and presented papers to numerous seminars, workshops,
conferences and parliamentary debates on issues surrounding ageism, age equality
and dealing with Britain’s ageing population.
Currently these are major challenges that face the UK and have economic, social
and political implications. These age related issues cross-cut government
departments and parliamentary interest, they involve the areas of work and
pensions, education, health and social care, communities and local government.
Throughout my CASE studentship with Age UK I have learned, and informed others
about the impact and relevance of ageism for debates surrounding the future of the
state pension, extending working lives, raising the state pension age, the future of
health and social care and social exclusion. Through my attendance at these events I
have witnessed the call and need for research to be properly represented and
disseminated to the public and those responsible for finding solutions.
I am constantly learning, developing and looking for new experiences that will expand
my understanding of how to best connect social psychological evidence surrounding
ageism to the progression of policy.
I believe the internship will provide opportunities for the extension and development of
key skills that contribute to strategic changes, such as being able to interpret and define
research contributions from a range of disciplines. To me this involves being able to
communicate, engage and work in partnership with diverse and non-specialist
audiences. I also hope the dynamics of the Strategy Unit will provide an opportunity
for me to take a different perspective to evidence, to further develop and practice
analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as identifying areas where new research
evidence is required.
Stated an interest
Evidence of interest
Importance of interest
Demonstrate
understanding of
interest
What I do now
How internship
can help- add to
development
Applications -CVs
• What does the job require?
– Knowledge of analytical tools
– Collecting & analysing evidence
– Understanding complex statistical data
– Understanding what constitutes good evidence
The interview
• 2 parts
– Problem solving skills
– Reasoning ability
– Communication skills
– Approach to work
The Job
Cabinet Office
“making government
work better”
•National Security
•Reform & efficiency
•Big Society
•Transparency
Behavioural
insights
Team
Office for
civil society
Big Society
1) Community empowerment
2) Opening up public services
3) Social action
Time Banks
•Supporting material for tender document
•Literature review on impacts and evaluations
•Typology of time banks
Big society
policy &
analysis team
Time banks
BPS Fellowship
• Application
– Summary of psychological research relevant to
public policy in 1,200 words
• Psychological Research in Ageism is Relevant to Public
Policy
– CV
– Opens May, closes 31st August
Application
CV
• Work in policy areas
• Affiliations with external
organisations
Written piece
• Demonstrate effecting
writing and communication
skills
The interview
• Summary of my PhD research so far
• How is it relevant and why is it important to
public policy
• Knowledge of organisations – government or
NGO’s who work in my area.
– Do I know who I would contact and how would I
go about it
The Job
• POST note
– http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-andoffices/offices/bicameral/post/publications/
• Video games and Violence
Industry
• VG publishers
• VG developers
• UKIE
• TIGA
• PEGI
• BBFC
• NGOs
Academic
• Aggression
• Addiction
• Brain
development
Government
• DCMS
• DoE
• APPG
• MPs
• Initial research phase
– Contacted over 30 people
– Conducted over 18 interviews
– Read many papers