Sarah Kline, Head of UK and EU Relations, Oxfam GB

I studied politics at both school and university, and always had a strong interest in development and social justice. I decided aged 21 that I wanted to lobby for Oxfam but found it incredibly frustrating trying to figure out how to make that happen.

I think I would give three pieces of advice to anyone interested in a career in lobbying:

1. To get started with your career, get practical experience of the policy process - I'm sure it helps to demonstrate that you have already got involved in school or university politics, the student newspaper. You can also volunteer to work with local organizations such as MPs' constituency offices or regional party offices. I was also very lucky that as part of my politics degree, at University Edinburgh, I had the option of doing a secondment to gain practical experience. I did policy work for Children in Scotland, an umbrella group representing all the Scottish NGOs and government agencies working with children. This gave me more of a sense of how NGOs operate and increased my determination to hone my skills in how to translate such policy work into action.

I also spent some University holidays doing brief stints of work experience. Some companies or organizations offer internships or work experience, in my case I just wrote and asked! I worked at the think tank Demos and in the House of Commons Library to gain more experience of how think tanks can shape policy and how the House of Commons operates. All this experience helps far more than just reading books and writing essays when you are applying for jobs - it also gives you a good list of contacts to find jobs through later on.

2. Jobs like a MPs' researchers are good foundations for a future career in politics and lobbying. You can approach an MP directly or via the party headquarters. Sometimes the positions are advertised in The Guardian. Many lobbyists who work in the charitable sector have had experience working for an MP or political party. Others have worked as campaigners (which may involve working with MPs at local or national level). It is rare that charities will employ a parliamentary officer who has not worked at all with MPs!

3. To work in the private sector as a lobbyist, you can apply straight from university. Some firms will take on graduates but these jobs are seldom advertised and more likely to be gained through writing to the firm and asking to meet with them.

4. Quite a lot of people working in politics gain some experience working abroad. I decided I needed to learn how the lobbying industry worked in the US, as I understood this was how the UK industry was likely to develop. Therefore straight after university, via an internship directory in the university library, I found a couple of potential internships in Washington DC and moved out there to work for a lobby group. In the summer of 1996 I arrived in Washington knowing nobody and started work! It was a great experience and I ended up joining the World Bank and staying three years working with the US Congress and US government. If you are prepared to take the gamble and apply for jobs in New York, Geneva, Brussels or Washington you may gain really valuable experience and a breadth of knowledge that can help you go far in your career.

Even before I joined in 2001, I always thought that Oxfam had an excellent reputation for its advocacy work, as well as for its work with poor people. And I believed that I could help to make a difference on issues that I really cared about, too. Through its Policy and Advocacy teams, Oxfam has access to so many of the world's most powerful decision-makers. I now lead Oxfam's work with the UK government, lobbying ministers and their officials. I have also in the past helped Oxfam to urge organisations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to think harder about their policies, and to make necessary changes that could benefit millions of poor people. Lobbying calls for a mixture of perseverance, patience, creativity, and a lot of teamwork. My job is absolutely fascinating and it's a real privilege to work for Oxfam!