A career in politics within the UK - a Welsh perspective

So you want a career in politics? Well working at the National Assembly for Wales is a very different atmosphere to Westminster, but no less diverse and challenging.

Staff here fall into two main categories.

• Civil servants who provide an extensive range of services including clerking committees, research into specific subject areas, translation facilities, public and educational information services, library services, preparation of briefings, and so on.
• AMSS (Assembly Members Support Staff), employed by individual AMs or political groups. This category of staff tend to be motivated more by Party politics, and whilst not essential it is usual to find that support staff have at least a strong leaning towards the Party for which they work.

The work is varied, anything from filing and diary management to detailed statistical research and analysis, not forgetting the other essential element of an AMs workload – casework. Dealing with the huge range of constituents’ queries and problems can require a great deal of patience and tact.

Good communications skills, an ability to work under pressure, and most of all a sense of humour are essential if you are to survive! Support staff work hard, but they know how to unwind too, and there is usually a very good team spirit.

There tends to be quite a high turnover of staff – mainly because chances to progress within the AMSS structure are limited. However, the experience gained is invaluable and can open up all sorts of opportunities – whether you choose to stay in politics or move on to pastures new.

A substantial number of our staff have political ambitions themselves – or develop them along the way, and in such cases the experience is invaluable. Others have no such leanings and just enjoy the experience of being able to contribute in a positive way to the Governance of Wales. Many of those who join us have degrees in politics or related subjects but it is not essential (although an education to degree level almost certainly is).

Whatever your long term aims the experience you will gain by working in the exciting, highly charged and demanding atmosphere at Cardiff Bay will stand you in very good stead.

Check out the National Assembly for Wales website at www.wales.gov.uk - and look out for job vacancies on individual Party and specialist recruitment websites.

This article is provided by Karen Roberts
Group Administrator Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Members
Welsh Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate

PLEASE NOTE THAT ELECTUS START IS A NON-PARTISAN ORGANISATION WITH NO POLITICAL BIAS.