u/EconomyRepulsive2948

I am 21 and I am about to graduate with my BA in Political Science from Laurier, I am really stumped about what my next steps should be.

I’ve been applying to a bunch of jobs/internships lately, mostly in public policy, government relations, public affairs, municipal policy, housing, land use/planning, development, and urban studies. I have applied to city jobs with City of Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, and the Region of Waterloo, as well as Toronto and most surrounding municipalities, and I haven't heard back about anything.

I’ve also been trying to build a network on LinkedIn and reach out to people in fields I’m interested in, but honestly it has been difficult if not impossible to get responses. I know networking is important, but it feels hard to break in when you’re still a student/new grad and do not have a super clear job title attached to you yet.

For anyone who studied political science or ended up working in policy, planning, housing, development, public affairs, or government: what would you recommend as a next step?

Are there specific entry-level roles I should be looking for? Is it realistic to get into planning/policy work with a political science background? Should I focus on working first, or start thinking about a planning/public policy master’s sooner rather than later?

Any advice would be appreciated. I feel like I know the general world I want to enter, but I’m struggling to figure out the most realistic first step.

I am 21 and I am about to graduate with my BA in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier, I am really stumped about what my next steps should be.

I’ve been applying to a bunch of jobs/internships lately, mostly in public policy, government relations, public affairs, municipal policy, housing, land use/planning, development, and urban studies (I have heard back from almost nothing, despite sending about 100 applications). I’m really interested in the practical side of politics pertaining to how cities grow, how housing gets built, how policy decisions are made, and how government, developers, and communities interact.

I’ve also been trying to build a professional network on LinkedIn and reach out to people in fields I’m interested in, but honestly it has been difficult if not impossible to get responses. I know networking is important, but it feels hard to break in when you’re still a student/new grad and do not have a super clear job title attached to you yet.

For anyone who studied political science or ended up working in policy, planning, housing, development, public affairs, or government: what would you recommend as a next step?

Are there specific entry-level roles I should be looking for? Is it realistic to get into planning/policy work with a political science background? Should I focus on working first, or start thinking about a planning/public policy master’s sooner rather than later?

Any advice would be appreciated. I feel like I know the general world I want to enter, but I’m struggling to figure out the most realistic first step.

I am 21 and I am about to graduate with my BA in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier, I am really stumped about what my next steps should be.

I’ve been applying to a bunch of jobs/internships lately, mostly in public policy, government relations, public affairs, municipal policy, housing, land use/planning, development, and urban studies. I’m really interested in the practical side of politics pertaining to how cities grow, how housing gets built, how policy decisions are made, and how government, developers, and communities interact.

I’ve also been trying to build a professional network on LinkedIn and reach out to people in fields I’m interested in, but honestly it has been difficult if not impossible to get responses. I know networking is important, but it feels hard to break in when you’re still a student/new grad and do not have a super clear job title attached to you yet.

For anyone who studied political science or ended up working in policy, planning, housing, development, public affairs, or government: what would you recommend as a next step?

Are there specific entry-level roles I should be looking for? Is it realistic to get into planning/policy work with a political science background? Should I focus on working first, or start thinking about a planning/public policy master’s sooner rather than later?

Any advice would be appreciated. I feel like I know the general world I want to enter, but I’m struggling to figure out the most realistic first step.

I am 21 and I am about to graduate with my BA in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier in Canada, I am really stumped about what my next steps should be.

I’ve been applying to a bunch of jobs/internships lately, mostly in public policy, government relations, public affairs, municipal policy, housing, land use/planning, development, and urban studies. I’m really interested in the practical side of politics pertaining to how cities grow, how housing gets built, how policy decisions are made, and how government, developers, and communities interact.

I’ve also been trying to build a professional network on LinkedIn and reach out to people in fields I’m interested in, but honestly it has been difficult if not impossible to get responses. I know networking is important, but it feels hard to break in when you’re still a student/new grad and do not have a super clear job title attached to you yet.

For anyone who studied political science or ended up working in policy, planning, housing, development, public affairs, or government: what would you recommend as a next step?

Are there specific entry-level roles I should be looking for? Is it realistic to get into planning/policy work with a political science background? Should I focus on working first, or start thinking about a planning/public policy master’s sooner rather than later?

Any advice would be appreciated. I feel like I know the general world I want to enter, but I’m struggling to figure out the most realistic first step.