Interns' Network
19 April 2008: The Interns' Network website is still down. Click here for more information.
Last revised: 29 March 2007
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Build your political work experience,
join the Interns’ Network.
The IN is a non-partisan community of about 1000
interns, volunteers and others who work in the Westminster 'village'. Free
to join and open to all, the IN is a means by which people (sometimes
like-minded, sometimes not!) can get to know one another and share
valuable knowledge, advice and experience.
Advertising internships
If you’re looking for an internship, be it with
an MP, an MEP, think-tank, pressure group, public affairs firm, or any
other organisation that might broadly be termed part of the 'policy
community', we can help. The IN provides members with an in-depth weekly
briefing on jobs opportunities around Westminster. We also work with
employers to ensure that internships are advertised openly and filled by
fair, meritocratic
means. It remains the case that access to many of the best political
internships for recent graduates is determined by informal contacts and
not by merit. The fact that a large number of MPs, think-tanks and other
such employers now advertise work placements under the auspices of w4mp
and IN is something we hope will make your quest for an internship, and
ultimately a job, that much easier. Email internsinfo@yahoo.co.uk
to sign up for your weekly jobs briefings.
Living in London, working in
Westminster
Another important function of the IN involves
working to make the life of the intern, after they have actually secured
themselves a placement of some kind, as enjoyable and comfortable as
possible. Political internships are often inaccessible to those who do not
live in London, or who do not have the financial means to support
themselves whilst working for free. We seek to find ways around this by
pooling what resources we have!
IN weekly briefings list the rooms to let that
come our way. To get them sent straight to your inbox, email internsinfo@yahoo.co.uk
or visit www.internsnetwork.org.uk.
Ethical internships
The IN's campaign for 'ethical internships' asks
that employers should cover reasonable travel and subsistence
costs, in recognition that working without pay in London is expensive as
it is. We are also working with employers, many of whom have adopted in
full the terms of our ethical internships, towards the formal
establishment of interns’ bursaries. Employers that adopt the terms of
our ethical internships are rewarded with publicity on our popular web
site. Interns and others can also use our web portal and advice lines for
information about living in London, to ease the pursuit of London
accommodation that is as cheap and comfortable as possible.
Another side to ethical internships is the
content of the work itself. Internships should be enjoyable, should
provide an interesting blend of work including some substantive research,
and hours should be reasonable. Members of the network can share their
experiences of internships and what they entail with other IN members at
our regular events and on the website.
For more information on ethical internships and
to learn and share information about internships and accommodation, visit www.internsnetwork.org.uk.
Good luck!
Good luck looking for an internship! We hope the
IN will make finding one that bit easier. For more information, do visit
our website, a 'one stop shop' containing all the sorts of information
discussed above. And we look forward to seeing you at one our regular
social events!
The Interns' Network Team
Click here for the w4mp Guide on Internships
Click here for information and guidance for MPs and organisations advertising an internship on W4MP