Ruth Jenkins, a former intern for the Green MEP Caroline Lucas, reveals how her placement has helped her career.
What did being a green intern involve?
I was a “stagier” (the European name for intern) for Caroline Lucas, the Green MEP for the UK South East region, based in the European Parliament in Brussels for five months. The work was largely administrative. I had to deal with issues raised by constituents, keeping on top of the vast quantities of incoming post and emails and making travel arrangements, which meant becoming very good friends with the local travel agency. I also answered the phone and there was plenty of desk research to keep my brain in gear.
What did you do on a typical day?
Most days involved working nine to five and were very hectic. There is definitely a late work culture in the European Parliament but stagiers don’t have to get caught up in it. I would have lunch in the canteen with other stagiers, there was the odd dash to sneak papers into meetings, phones ringing fairly regularly, and the odd smattering of filing.
Did you get any kind of salary or expenses and how much?
I wasn’t exactly paid a salary but more like generous expenses — it would have been well under minimum wage if you had calculated it. I supplemented the income with some savings I had made before I started, to make sure that I could nip back and forth on the Eurostar once a month and drink a few extra Hoegardens. The money however would definitely have been enough to comfortably cover accommodation, food and a little entertainment if I had chosen to stay put in Brussels and not travel back to the UK.
What was the best thing about the placement?
There’s a real buzz about being involved in such a big institution: corridors that make you feel like you’re on a Star Wars set, having the occasional chat with the MEPs, and the odd champagne reception where you bump into Jacques Santer! I loved working for an MEP who was working really hard to tackle issues I really care about. The admin did get a bit mind numbing at times and making stagiers’ work interesting is not always an MEP’s greatest priority, but overall the experience was really amazing and invaluable for helping my career progression.
So how did you land the placement?
I had worked in plenty of offices before, including the Green Party’s Headquarters in London. I had also been a member of the Green Party for a couple of years, which helped, but wasn’t essential. My interests matched those of my MEP quite closely, but I think that’s more important for your sense of fulfillment than a requirement of the job.
How does an internship differ from voluntary work?
As an intern, you do get some opportunity to ask for tasks that really stretch you but mainly I think that the difference is about commitment - you need to be prepared to give a significant chunk of your time and work out what you want to achieve from the process. Voluntary work is often more ad hoc and less structured. Signing up for an internship means that your employer can potentially make more demands of you but also gives you longer to prove yourself and gain some really valuable experience.
How has the internship helped your career?
The placement has helped my career enormously. I know lots more about green politics in practice now, and most of the interviewers for jobs I’ve applied for since have made various “coo” and “gosh” noises when they’ve got to that part of the CV. I think my experience shows employers that I am capable of working well in a very busy environment, dealing with confidential information and juggling urgent tasks. For more specialised jobs, it also gives you a huge advantage if you have worked on policy in that area.
Is being a stagier a definite route into a political career?
I definitely think that you have more credibility to an electorate when you can say you have actual experience of a body you want to be elected to. Being a stagier also gives you a great opportunity to network and gain contacts within the party you want to stand for.
Any internship, however, is likely to give you the knowledge and confidence that you can achieve things and empower you to start making a difference in whatever way you choose. If you choose to pursue political change through the electoral system, that’s great, but internships can also help you to change things outside the political system.
What are your top tips for landing an internship?
To find out about being a stagier for a Green MEP visit Young Greens. If your language skills are good you could also apply for work with non-British MEPs in Brussels, which would widen your choice. Try to match your interests with those of the MEP you apply to and approach them directly — visit the UK Office of the European Parliament for a list of interests and contact details and search for UK MEPs. Any office skills that you can gain will also be helpful in landing a position as a stagier, including word processing, typing and answering the telephone.
Young Greens
www.younggreens.org.uk
UK Office of the European Parliament
www.europarl.org.uk
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