在英国,越来越多的留学生在学习政治,那么英国的政治界是否如我们所想呢?在接下来的一些文章中我们将更加深入地探索专业领域,教你如何作为一名杰出候选人,在搏斗激烈的专业政治领域脱颖而出、竞争上岗。
托尼-布莱尔在1997年竞选英国首相时曾发表著名演说,表示他上任后政府的首要任务将是“教育,教育,教育”。不管从事什么职业,你需要优先考虑教育问题。
想要在政界工作,没有所谓的“华山一条道”。在英国历史上没有哪一种“教育”是可以日后直接敲开政界大门的。英国的政治阶层从20世纪初开始实行工资制,他们是从上层社会、专业人士、由工会代表发起的劳工运动中发展而来的。通过地方政府、政党活动进入全国范围的政治界工作也是可行的。
但是在最近数十年中,一些传统的进入政界的路径被关闭了,使得这个圈子越来越排外。当然了,还有一些新兴的教育方面的路径出现,极大地提高了你进入你们国家级议会、代表大会工作的机会。 首推也是最重要的方式之一是进入一个世界顶尖高校学习深造。虽然它不能确保你一定混入政界,但它能起到极大帮助。让我们来看看英国国会。英国三个主要政党的现任领导人都是毕业于牛津或剑桥。还有像美国现任总统奥巴马,以及前任们——布什、克林顿都毕业于哈佛或耶鲁。
不是每个学生都能进入这些顶级高校的,即使对于一些聪明绝顶的学生们来说,也未必能心想事成。不过如果你有雄心壮志并竭尽所能成功地申请到这些顶尖高校的话,对你日后的政治生涯将是极大的帮助。
为什么?首先这些顶尖高校里开设了一些专业课程,是将来政界雇佣人才时极为看重的。比如牛津的“政治、哲学和经济”专业(PPE),或哈佛政治学院的毕业生项目,都被很多政界雇主认为是为将来工作提供了很好的政治基础。这不仅仅跟你所学的专业有关,更是有关于这些顶尖高校机构所设立的相关课程的国际认可度。
牛津、剑桥的导师系统是个很典型的例子。一旦你在牛剑学习,光是听听课、通过考试就能满足课业需要吗?显然不是。你还要每周至少写一篇(通常两篇)多达2000字的论文,然后被叫去和一位学科带头人面对面,分析你论文中的论点论据。对于“政治”专业来说,你必须能够通过精准、清晰、个性化的论述去强有力地说服别人。在这个方面,其他高校是不能与牛剑导师系统相媲美的。
这还仅仅不够。不是说你进入这些顶尖高校,得到专业训练就能日后在政界叱咤风云了。在这些高校中积累的人脉资源和机会也是非常重要的,不管是你在读时,还是毕业以后。在英国,很多政治领导人都是从牛津、剑桥抱团涌现的。所以一旦你进入了这些顶尖高校,等于你成功加入政界俱乐部,为自己加码,特别当你面对一些也是从相同高校毕业的政界前辈时。记住一句话:你知道什么知识远不如你认识什么大牛重要。
但是如果我没能进入这些顶尖高校学习怎么办?不要恐慌。还有一些方法可以补救。首先,思考什么专业课程能够对你的政界雇主有帮助?当我在英国国会工作时,我身边同事们最普遍的专业背景是政治、经济、历史、哲学、法律、国际关系和英语。这些专业可以帮助你在国会办公室里游刃有余。
你也可以采取一些实用性的办法让你的简历更好看。在学生报纸兼职,或者参加学生会、辩论社团都可以很好地锻炼你的政治语言和沟通技巧。还有永远不要低估了慈善活动的重要性。慈善社团通常都拥有不错的资源,并且愿意吸纳热情聪明的毕业生们进入他们的办公室,胜任各种职位。
最关键的,是你要时刻保持积极主动。高校生活会是你人生经历中的重要一笔,如果你能通过一些学生社团、校外活动去在各种领域崭露头角,对你将来的简历都会是绝好的加分项。
最后要记住了,这点我再怎么强调都不够:想要在当今政治界工作,2:1学位(英国大学学位等级,相当于中国大学本科平均分成绩78-80分以上)是必需的底线。有本事进入顶尖大学,还要有本事光荣毕业(以好成绩拿到2:1以上学位)。不然你的简历可就不好看了,不管你是想进入政界还是其他领域工作。
In these coming blogs we will dive deeper into the specifics on how to make you stand out as an exceptional candidate and get you that first job in the competitive world of professional politics.
Tony Blair once famously said when campaigning to become Prime Minister of the UK in 1997 that his Government’s main priority would be “education, education, education”. Like any career, education is the first thing you need to think about.
There is no single pathway to working in politics. Historically in the UK there was no direct educational path to professional politics. The political classes, since they became salaried in the UK at the beginning of the 20th Century, have been drawn from the aristocracy, the professional classes and the Labour movements comprised of trade unionists. It was also possible to have a more vocational path to national politics through local government and party activism.
In recent decades however some traditional paths to professional politics have closed making it increasingly harder to enter. However, some clear educational routes have emerged that can greatly raise the chances of you working in your national parliaments and assemblies. The first and most obvious of these to get into one of the world’s top universities. Although this does not guarantee a pathway into professional politics, it greatly helps. Let us look at the UK Parliament. The current leaders of the UK’s three major parties all went to Oxford or Cambridge. And in the United States, Barack Obama and previous Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton all attended Harvard or Yale.
Not everyone will be able to attend these universities, and even brightest and most capable students often struggle to find places at the elite Universities. Nevertheless, if you can turn your ambitions and talents towards these elite Universities you stand a much better chance of achieving your political ambitions.
So why is this? Firstly, there are some specific degree courses these universities offer that can that future political employers might be after. Whether it be the Oxford PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics) or a graduate programme at the Harvard School of Government, many political employers have seen these as providing a great foundation when entering political life. This is not just to do with the subjects studied, but the internationally recognised vigour of the courses these elite institutions provide.
The Oxbridge tutorial system is a case in point. Once you have begun an Oxbridge degree, you are not only expected to meet the course requirements though lectures and examinations, but also to write at least one essay a week (normally two) of at least 2000 words, and then be expected to sit down with a leading scholar on the subject and justify the arguments you have made. In politics you have to be able to write with precision, clarity, style and with the power to persuade through argument. The tutorial system embeds this in a way few other institutions can.
Let’s be honest though. It is not just the elite training you get at these institutions that help you break into the world of politics. It is also the networking opportunities these colleges and universities provide, not just whilst you are there, but afterwards. In the UK, a disproportionate amount of our political leaders emerged from the hallowed grounds of Oxford and Cambridge. If you can get to these institutions you become part of a small club that can carry significant weight, particularly with employers who have been to these institutions themselves. Remember the adage, “it’s not what you know , but who you know”.
But what if I do not get into one of these you ask? Well do not panic. There are still very important things that you can do to get ahead. Firstly, think about what degree courses would be most beneficial to a political employer. When I worked in the Houses of Parliament the most common courses studied by the people I worked with were politics, economics, history, philosophy, law, international relations and English. All these will provide the tools you will need to be successful in a parliamentary office.
You can also take some more practical steps that will look great on your CV. Working for the student newspaper or participating in student politics or debating societies can be incredibly valuable training opportunities in the craft of political language and communication. And never underestimate the power of charitable work. Charities often have limited resources and are normally very open to having bright and enthusiastic graduates enter their offices to assist in a variety of roles.
The key is to be proactive. University will be one of the best experiences you will have, but if you can use some of that essential pub and social time to take on responsibilities in a variety of areas, you will really help make your CV stand out.
But remember this, and I cannot emphasise this enough: to work in a modern political office will require at least a 2:1 degree. It is all very well going to a great university but unless you have a 2:1 on your CV you will struggle, not just for jobs in politics, but many other sought after professions.
以上就是关于英国政治界的一些探索~希望对你有所帮助!