Public Affairs Guide
Who could I work for?
Public affairs practitioners can work either 'in house' for a company, as an advisor for a political consultancy working with a number of clients, for a trade association or union, a political or issues based organisation or for a government agency.
What can I expect to be doing?
Public affairs practitioners can be tasked with a wide range of activities. Some may specialise in media relations or campaign management whilst others will work across the spectrum. Some of the activities and skills a practitioner would be expected to learn include:
Lobbying: Practitioners may need to influence stakeholders on specific policy or legislation proposals. They will devise strategies on who to lobby, on what issues and advise at what stage in the legislative process to get involved.
Monitoring: It is essential that any public affairs work is based on the most up to date information and so monitoring is essential. Usually conducted by junior practitioners, statements and releases from Parliament, Whitehall, European Institutions, political parties, local government, public bodies, think tanks, pressure groups, debates, committee inquiries, legislation and regulation will all be monitored regularly.
Media management: Public affairs practitioners often carry out what are seen as traditional PR activities but with a political focus because, in many cases, the media can be a significant stakeholder to the organisation. These activities include writing press releases and articles, researching, copy writing, producing annual reports and managing databases of, and building up relationships with, media contacts.
Organising and attending events: Practitioners may organise events in order to provide opportunities to meet with stakeholders. Initially the relevant stakeholders will need to be identified, as will the issues that the organisation needs to bring to the attendees' attention. You will also invariably attend parliamentary committee meetings, party conferences, related seminars, conferences, Government Departmental stakeholder meetings, All-Party Parliamentary Groups and other events.
Providing information to stakeholders: It is essential in public affairs that practitioners are able to convey information to stakeholders in a concise, efficient and honest manner. This can be done through submissions to government consultations, answering letters from MPs/MEPs, writing internal and external briefing papers, and producing leaflets and newsletters or by holding one-to-one meetings.
Political marketing: The government is a huge procurer and many corporate companies are keen to sell their products to the public sector. Public affairs practitioners may be used to raise the profile of a company in order to increase the company's chances of making the government a client.
Networking and Contacts: Public affairs practitioners need to be confident at networking and able to ‘work a room’. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to networking. It is very much down to the skills of the individual, but these skills can be learned by anyone. Largely, it is about having the confidence to approach people and strike up conversation. One of the things that you take from one job to another is your personal and professional contacts, and in many cases these might be intermingled. It is important to build up a network of contacts within and across different sectors.
How do I get into public affairs?
There are various routes into public affairs with some joining the industry straight from university and others joining from a related profession later on in their careers. Many public affairs practitioners have a degree in politics or a closely related subject but it is also advantageous to back this up with work placements or internships. These can be taken in MP/MSP/MEP offices, with political consultancies or in a campaigning organisation. For those who support a specific political party, a good way to gain experience is to volunteer for the party, supporting a local candidate or working in their national communication teams. Many placements or internships are not advertised publicly - work out a list of some organisations you'd like to work for and target your covering letter and CV accordingly. Do this early, and if possible, offer to work unpaid for a few months. The most important thing is to get your foot on the public affairs ladder.
Many large political consultancies have graduate programmes that last for six to twelve months. These introduce graduates to the basic political processes, the forms of communication which are used in politics and teach client relationship skills. Graduates will often be expected to conduct research for more experienced consultants which is an excellent way for them to work across several sectors and decide which areas or issues they are most interested in working on in the future. Most consultancies may expect candidates to have some relevant experience, either through work experience or from an involvement in student politics.
How much can I expect to earn?
PubAffairs has carried out a survey of member salaries and benefits. View the results on our Survey page.
