Every year, thousands of students decide to pursue degrees in social change, public policy, peace studies and international relations. Ambitious students spend three to five years asking and answering big questions that matter to today’s society. How can we best understand values? Why do people vote the way they do? What feasible options exist to help us better bring about peace in the world? While students of social sciences graduate with excellent skills in history, communication and research literacy, breaking into the world of politics can be a long and cumbersome process. With so much focus on business, science and technology, bright and talented graduates from other, no less relevant degrees, find themselves underemployed or unemployed altogether. According to the last census conducted in Ireland (2016), the unemployment rate is falling most in the engineering, manufacturing and construction sectors. The unemployment rate for graduates of social sciences, business and law stands at a high of 5.1%, although one must be careful as business and law students usually enjoy better employment prospects. Even so, the unemployment rate for such students continues to be higher than for graduates of other disciplines, such as education, health, veterinary and agricultural science. It remains to be seen whether the pandemic has strengthened or weakened job prospects for graduates with politics-related degrees. This panel will focus on developing a productive dialogue between HR professionals, civil servants, non-governmental organisations and students/recent graduates. As an organisation with a strong focus on two-way communication, we want to ensure that students of social change, public policy, peace studies and international relations get a better idea of how to land a first job, how/when/where to apply and how to persevere in the face of difficulties and constant rejections. 

In particular, we will talk about: 

• Where to apply for relevant jobs? 

• How to fill out applications/prepare for interviews? 

• How to get relevant work experience through internships/volunteering/community involvement? 

• Where to look for useful advice and/or help? 

SPEAKERS: 

Mary McCarthy, Careers Advisor at UCC Careers Services 

Aimée Millar, Public Affairs and Advocacy Manager at American Chamber of Commerce Ireland 

Gabriel O’Rourke, Policy Advisor at the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the OECD and UNESCO 

Diandra Ni Bhuachalla, UN Youth Delegate from Ireland