On November 12th, students from the School of Politics and International Relations attended a roundtable and networking event hosted by our Politics, Policy, and Practice (3P) Lab. The event featured four professionals from diverse political careers, offering insights into the transition from their studies to the workplace. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, learn about different career paths, and connect with experts in the field.
On Tuesday 12th of November, students from the School of Politics and International Relations attended a roundtable and networking event with four professionals in a range of careers in politics and policy.
Organised by the 3P (Politics, Policy, and Practice) Lab School initiative, Dr. Richard Johnson, Senior Lecturer in US Politics and Policy at Queen Mary hosted the panel and commented: "The mission of the Politics, Policy, and Practice Lab is to take students from their academic study of politics to see how politics operates in practice. Students are always interested in how to find jobs in politics after their studies, and our careers roundtable aimed to provide practical advice on how to do this.
I was very pleased to invite four excellent speakers to our Mile End Campus: a special adviser to a Cabinet minister, an editor of an online news outlet, a lobbyist and policy adviser for an educational organisation, and media director for a trade union. Students were able to learn about working in these fields, as well as the transition from university to working in politics. Students posed great questions to the speakers both during the roundtable and in the networking reception afterward."
The panelists included Camilla Clarke, Head of Media at the National Association of Headteachers, Basit Mahmood, Editor at Left Foot Forward, James Hallwood, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Council of Deans of Health and Nicola Bartlett, Special Adviser for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
After the panel, students had the opportunity to network with the panelists, and Alia Beny, 4th year BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations student said: "It was truly the best networking event I have been to so far at Queen Mary. It was really interesting to see the variety of careers that the policy sector can produce and, especially, how it intersects with many other disciplines."
The panelists commented on the event:
Camilla Clarke, Head of Media, National Association of Headteachers said: "It was lovely to meet such engaged students who are already passionate about developing their future careers. There are so many unknowns when you are beginning your career - and I hope my fellow panelists and I were able to help demystify what a professional career in politics looks like."
Basit Mahmood, Editor, Left Foot Forward: "I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the students at Queen Mary who are passionate about their future careers and making a positive contribution to society. It was great to meet so many engaged students who have given a lot of thought and consideration about what they would like to do after university, as evidenced in their questions and I’ve no doubt the university and their studies will help them gain the employability skills needed for a successful future."
James Hallwood, Head of Policy and External Affairs, Council of Deans of Health: "It was great to meet students and talk to them about their ambitions for the future. Hopefully our stories were useful in helping them think about the paths they may take to get there. Thanks to QMUL for inviting me and I wish everyone I met the best of luck in their journeys ahead."
Learn more about the School of Politics and International Relations.