Career Focus of the Month: Politician

Do you care about democracy? Are you keen to advocate for individuals and the community? Do you have a strong desire to bring about social change? 

If so, a career in politics could be for you!

Many people are involved in politics, but here we focus on the role of elected representatives. You might be a local councillor, a Member of Parliament (MP) or, in the devolved nations, a Member of the Senedd (MS), a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) or a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Northern Ireland.

Terry Cook is a councillor for Stroud District Council and leader of the council’s Labour Group. In this article, Terry kindly tells us a little about his role, how he got involved in politics, and provides some useful tips.

What does a politician do?

Elected politicians represent people at local, national and international level. Most are members of a political party, but some are independent.

Councillors work in their local community. They are elected to represent the interests of the people, community groups, businesses and other organisations within a particular ward. Most councillors do not receive a salary, but they get allowances and expenses. Terry says, “Don’t expect to make a fortune as a councillor. The hours can be long and the pay low. You have to be motivated by something other than money.”

A councillor’s role includes:

• Deciding on the council’s priorities, and making plans to deliver its services 
• Communicating with local people at surgeries (drop-in sessions), over the phone, online and through letters
• Dealing with casework – investigating and responding to concerns and issues
• Keeping people up to date on developments, eg through meetings, social media posts and newsletters
• Encouraging people to share their views and get involved in the community

Terry explains, “I am a local councillor for the ward of Dursley. For the next four years I’m the elected representative for the people of Dursley for all issues to do with Stroud District Council. I represent the community on housing, planning and waste collection issues. I also have wider responsibility, with others, for forming policy on housing and strategic spending for the whole of the Stroud district. I’m also the leader of a political group of 20 councillors in Stroud who coordinate the opposition responses to the ruling administration party as well as formulating Labour party policy in relation to Stroud District Council.”

MPs split their time between Parliament and their constituency. Their work includes:

• Debating and voting on new laws or changes to existing laws, and sometimes proposing new legislation
• Holding surgeries so that their constituents can talk to them about their concerns
• Addressing constituents’ issues, such as by asking minister's questions in the House of Commons, writing to them privately or arranging meetings
• Getting out and about in their constituency meeting the public, attending events, visiting local businesses and so on

The work of an MS, MSP or MLA is similar to an MP, but their focus is on devolved matters and they raise and debate issues in their relevant assembly or parliament.

Would I suit a career as a politician?

Apart from a knowledge of current affairs and political understanding, you need a strong desire to serve your community, and a range of other skills and aptitudes. 

You need the ability to lead others as well as to work collaboratively. Confidence and resilience are required to deal with opposing views and the possibility of not being elected.

You must be an organised person with good time-management skills. As you have to attend meetings, debates in chambers etc, you need to be prepared to travel and work unsocial hours. 

We asked Terry what he considers to be the most important qualities of a politician. He told us, “You must be able to get on well with people, be comfortable with conflict and be skilled in conflict resolution. An analytical mind is useful as well as having good writing skills, and the ability to communicate clearly with individuals and groups. It’s important to be able to influence people at all levels – from MPs to executives and ‘the man on the street’. You also need the ability to solve problems at a strategic level.”

Morrisby Profile assessments can help you gain insight into how your aptitudes, interests, and personality align with various careers, including a career as a politician. Find out more about our Morrisby Pass (includes assessments and a 60-minute session with a qualified Careers Adviser)

How do I become a politician?

Being a politician isn’t like any other job; your appointment depends on election results. Candidates go through a process to be elected – this includes having the backing of your political party (unless you are independent) and being nominated. Because there is no guarantee you will be successful, developing transferable skills and/or having a career to fall back on is advised.

TIP: Arrange to have a chat with a local politician to find out about their role and the process of being elected. You can find details on standing as a political candidate on The Electoral Commission website.

To stand for election there are background, age and citizenship requirements, and certain factors can disqualify you. To become an MP, for example, amongst other requirements you must not be a member of the police or armed forces, a civil servant or a judge, or be subject to bankruptcy. To become a councillor you can’t work for the council where you want to stand, and you have to have been registered to vote in the area or have lived, worked or owned property there for at least a year. 

TIP: Terry says, “You don’t have to be a member of a political party; you can stand as an independent and many town and parish councils would prefer you not to be ‘political’. However, for a realistic chance of serving in a district, city or county council, belonging to and being selected by a party makes entry to the political world much easier.”

Although many politicians are graduates, there are no academic requirements. Most have had other occupations and real-life experience is helpful. Having said that, there are some ‘career politicians’ who spend their lives in pursuit of political office; they may study the subject at university, and then work as a political assistant, adviser or researcher, for instance, before standing for election.

If you are interested in politics and have A level/Higher qualifications (or equivalent), you could study politics and/or another relevant subject, such as law, business or economics, at university. Politics can also be taken at postgraduate level.

We asked Terry about his entry route. “I have a degree in politics, philosophy and economics. But, like many politicians, I have had a career outside politics. I started in research science as a microbiologist, moved into sales and marketing, and ended up as a business analyst with major financial institutions.”

Regardless of your educational background, it’s important to gain relevant experience; there are lots of ways you can do this, including:

• Getting involved in student politics or, if you are in work, your trade union or employer association
• If you are aged 11-18, standing for election as a Member of Youth Parliament (MYP)
• Joining pressure groups and campaigning on issues you feel strongly about
• Volunteering for a political party – help is usually welcomed, particularly at election time
• Attending council meetings, public inquiries etc to get an idea of how decision-making works
• Doing a political internship
• Involvement in organisations that promote democracy and that provide opportunities for you to have your say, such as Shout Out UK or My Life My Say 
• If appropriate, participating in workshops, events or schemes run by organisations that aim to make politics more reflective of the communities they represent. Elect Her and 50:50 Parliament, for instance, both aim to improve the representation of women. Operation Black Vote (OBV) runs various leadership and shadowing schemes in order to empower African, Asian and Caribbean heritage communities

• Working in a support role in politics. You could be employed as a party agent (assisting elected representatives and candidates at constituency level), as an assistant for a particular politician or work in party regional and national offices, eg dealing with membership, fundraising or public relations

TIP: Terry says, “Think broadly about ways you can gain experience as this will develop your skills and help you decide whether or not politics is right for you. Even volunteering in your community, such as being a school governor, can be useful.”

What opportunities are there to progress in politics?

With experience it’s possible for elected politicians to take on additional responsibilities. This might be through working on committees or even being a minister in charge of an area such as defence or education.

How can I find out more about a career in politics?

There’s information on politics and how you can get involved on the various political party websites, and careers information is available on some of the links given in this article.

Politician/MP career profiles can be found through the National Careers Service in England, Careers Wales and My World of Work. Prospects has a politician’s assistant profile.

The Be a Councillor website has all sorts of information on how you can get involved in local politics; this website is aimed at those in England but has links to similar sites in Wales and Scotland. Working for an MP (w4mp) and its associated jobs site has information on parliamentary support careers.

To help you understand the way different types of councils, the UK Parliament and the devolved assemblies/parliaments are organised and run, have a look at Be a Councillor, and the websites of parliaments and assemblies – UK Parliament, Senedd Cymru, the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Finally…

We asked Terry what he considers to be the main challenges and rewards of his role. 

“Politics is the art of deciding on a course of action within limited resources. There are never enough resources to meet everyone’s needs, which means that the choices you make are always going to disappoint someone. On the plus side, you have the opportunity to make a real difference to your community.”

If you decide that working as an elected politician isn’t for you, you could consider using your interest in politics in a related career. Apart from working in a political support role, you could become a civil servant, local government officer or trade union official. Other possibilities include charity work or careers in journalism (e.g. as a political correspondent), law and justice or international development.

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Debbie Steel, November 2024

With a background working with apprentices and teaching in further education, Debbie was employed as an in-house careers author before establishing herself as a freelancer. As well as co-authoring numerous careers books, Debbie has produced resources and web content for a range of high-profile clients. She is an enthusiastic proponent of impartial and reliable careers information, and a member of the Careers Writers Association and Career Development Institute.