Your career - undergraduates

A politics degree from Sheffield can set you apart from everyone else. You'll have many opportunities across all levels of your course to add valuable work experience and transferable skills to your CV.

Group of University of Sheffield students graduating
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Increase your employability

The Department of Politics and International Relations offers students several ways to get involved in extra curricular activities, projects and work opportunities so that you can set yourself apart from other graduates in the future job market. 


Mentoring Scheme

In your final year, you'll have the opportunity to be matched with a mentor. Our mentors come from a variety of career paths, and are often alumni from the department.

Get the chance to be mentored by someone working in:

  • foreign policy and diplomacy
  • the civil service
  • think tanks
  • political consultancy
  • communications
  • and more

The scheme is driven primarily by you and allows you to take responsibility for your own development. Mentors could offer you: 

  • An insight into their job
  • A chance to discuss potential career options with an experienced professional 
  • Advice on how to apply your skills from university in a wide range of jobs and sectors
  • Assistance in developing your networking skills and how to approach planning your next steps after graduating 

Degree with Placement Year

At Sheffield you will have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry in between your second and third year of your degree. 

A placement year provides an excellent opportunity to apply the knowledge, understanding and skills that you have developed during the earlier stages of your degree.

Politics student Joanna in front of the Headquarters of medical tech company B.Braun where she did her placement

Continuous learning played a big part in my placement. I not only read a lot about the NHS, their programmes and roadmaps, the government’s funding policies and public health goals, but I also took the opportunity to attend webinars on multiple topics, such as public health challenges, the role of tech in healthcare provision, project and change management, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and personal growth.

Joanna Turnbull, BA International Relations and Politics

Business Technology Placement, B.Braun

Read Joanna's Profile


Faculty of Social Sciences Employability hub

Alongside the University's Careers Service, we have an employability hub based in Cornerstone in the Wave that offers bespoke employability support for Social Sciences students. They can help you to explore career options, build experience and skills, and they organise events that are tailored to Social Sciences subjects. Past events have included:

  • Workplace Insights - Easter Internship programme
  • City Connections  Business and networking visit to London
  • Meet the professional - speed networking event

Faculty of Social Sciences Employability Hub


Skills and careers

A degree in politics provides you with key transferable skills that are sought after by employers. You will develop these skills through your timetabled lectures and seminars, and from workshops that the department arrange throughout the year.

As a politics student at Sheffield, you will: 

  • Gain key analytical and methodological skills.
  • Become an independent learner.
  • Develop a broad knowledge of all key fields in politics.
  • Examine different approaches and perspectives.
  • Develop and carry out your own independent research.

Our degree programmes are designed so that students can tailor their course to their own interests and career aspirations.

They also provide students with the foundation to go on to work in a wide range of professional, political and administrative organisations across the world.

Our graduates have secured employment with:

  • UK Government
  • NHS
  • Voluntary Action Rotherham
  • London Property Alliance

and work in roles such as:

  • Housing Solutions Officer
  • Civil Servant
  • Communications Officer
  • Digital Campaigns Account Executive
(Source: Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21 /undergraduate)

See what some of our students have gone on to do since their Undergraduate degree:

Headshot of Politics alumni Tim Gatt

How an understanding of contemporary politics led me to the digital media sector

Tim Gatt BA Politics

"My degree supported me from the very start, helping me to develop research, writing, and verbal communication skills that were vital for taking the first steps in my career and are skills I still use to this day."

Image of Politics alumni and Sky News Journalist, Olive Enokido-Lineham, in a green suit sat by plants

How International Relations led me to become a Sky News Reporter

Olive Enokido-Lineham BA International Relations and Politics

"The course deepened my curiosity to learn more about current affairs and what’s going on in the world."


Careers support

Careers Service

The University of Sheffield is home to a top quality, innovative Careers Service. The service can help you with your career journey, from deciding what you want to do - to getting your ideal job at the end of your studies. They offer a range of appointment types, workshops, presentations, large scale fairs in collaboration with a range of employers.

Internships and Volunteering

Internships can be a great way to work alongside your degree. These opportunities can be paid or unpaid and do offer valuable experience that looks great on your CV.

Volunteering is also a great way to meet new people, help the community and support causes that you are passionate about, whilst gaining key transferable skills that will be sought after by potential employers.

The University of Sheffield has one of the biggest volunteering programmes in the UK, and our careers service helps put you in touch with organisations who look for volunteers and interns. 

Careers support in Department

As well as the University wide careers service we have a dedicated team in Department to help you with your career progression and employability. 

Students outside engineering buildings

Visit us

Discover what sets Sheffield apart at our undergraduate open day on Saturday 23 November 2024.