By Ian Silvera

Fiona is a public affairs intern at an environmental charity, working out of one of its regional offices in the South East. The 23-year-old graduated from the University of East Anglia this summer.

After studying politics for three years, this young, determined woman is hoping to break into an occupation related to her chosen and beloved subject. The ill health of the job market, however, has put Fiona’s plans on hold.

The Surrey resident told me that she decided to choose political science as a degree for a strange, yet brave reason.

“I didn’t really know anything about politics,” Fiona explained, “so I thought if I did a degree on it I would learn a lot more.”

Despite her initial lack of knowledge – and not even an A-level in the discipline – Fiona learnt quickly and thoroughly enjoyed her chosen field.

In her third year of university she was lucky enough to work with a Liberal Democrat MP on her dissertation. Although the university called this arrangement an ‘internship’, Fiona did not feel that way about the situation. Continue reading →