Social Policy and Social Change careers
The occupations listed below are a selection of those which may interest students and graduates studying Social Policy from the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research.
Human Resources Officer
HR Personnel are tasked with developing policies and procedures related to all staff employed in that particular organisation. Some duties include recruiting staff, organisational development and staff training.
Job profile of a human resources officer from the Prospects website
Job description of human resources officer from the Target Jobs website
Civil Service Careers
The Civil Service delivers public services according to government policies. There are a large number of different departments and so a huge variety of different roles.
Job profile of a Civil Service Fast Streamer from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Civil Service Administrator from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Civil Service Administrator from the TARGET Jobs website
Job profile of a Civil Service Executive Officer from the National Careers Service website
Local Government Careers
Developing policies and delivering local services. There are a huge variety of roles within local government including roles in social care, housing and education to name just a few.
Job profile of a Local Government Officer from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Local Government Administrator from the TARGET Jobs website
Charity Officer
A number of opportunities exist within charities and NGOs. Duties will vary depending on the size and scope of the charity.
Job profile of a charity officer from the Prospects website
Job description of a charity administrator from the Target Jobs website
Social Researcher
Social Researchers could work for universities, the government or research/market research organisations. Social research covers a wide range of topics including crime, transport and education. Social Researchers manage research projects including collecting and analysing data and presenting the results.
Job profile of a Social Researcher from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Social Researcher from the TARGET Jobs website
Job profile of a Government Social Research Officer from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Government Research Officer from the TARGET Jobs website
Job profile of a Market Researcher from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Market Research Executive from the TARGET Jobs website
Job profile of a Trade Union Research Officer from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Trade Union Research Officer from the TARGET Jobs website
Please note that some of these careers may require further study
For further information on these careers, see also:
Other careers
A Social Policy degree may be useful in the following career areas:
Paralegal
The work of a paralegal can vary immensely depending on the firm but essentially a paralegal is a person trained in legal matters but not fully qualified as a lawyer.
Job profile of a paralegal from the Prospects website
Housing Officer/Manager
Housing Officers work for local authorities or housing associations to manage rented accommodation including solving problems raised by tenants, organising maintenance, allocating properties and dealing with payment issues. Housing Policy Officers develop policies for local authorities or housing associations.
Job profile of a Housing Manager/Officer from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Housing Adviser from the TARGET Jobs website
Job profile of a Housing Policy Officer from the National Careers Service website
Police Officer
Police officers work in communities to prevent crime and ensure good quality of life for all citizens.
Job profile of a police officer from the Prospects website
Youth Worker
Youth workers engage with young people in a variety of settings to give support and guidance, generally to those between the ages of 11 and 25
Job profile of a youth worker from the Prospects website
Job description of a youth worker from Target Jobs website
Data Analyst
Data analysts collect data and use it to help organisations to make business decisions.
Job profile of a data analyst from the Prospects website
Job description of a data analyst from Target Jobs website
International Aid/Development Worker
International aid/development workers work around the world providing practical help and assistance on a variety of issues. Roles may be field or office based. You may be responding to a crisis or working on development policy.
Job profile of an International Aid/Development worker from the Prospects website
You may be interested in graduate roles outside of Social Policy and Social Change. There are many employers who are looking for graduates with good degrees but that don’t have a preference for the subject studied. To explore different career options see:
Skills gained
As well as subject-specific knowledge and skills, a graduate in Social Policy will typically have gained:
- Analytical skills
- Organisational skills
- Research
- Teamwork
- Working to deadlines
- Leadership
- Verbal and written communication skills
- Present ideas and arguments verbally
- Negotiation and persuasion
- Problem solving
- IT skills
- Clear and logical thinking
- Critical evaluation
This is not an exhaustive list of skills – you will develop many skills from your course, extra-curricular activities and work experience. Find out more about the skills employers look for and how you can develop them.
Find a job
The Careers and Employability Service provides information and advice on job searching to University of Kent students and recent graduates. This includes a vacancy database advertising a range of graduate jobs, sandwich placements and vacation work/internships and online resources. The websites listed below may also be useful when searching for a job and when looking for further information on this sector.
- Government Social Research
- Civil Service Fast Stream
- UK Social Policy Association (SPA)
- W4MP Jobs and internships in politics, public affairs and any other role with a political dimension, both paid and voluntary
- CharityJob
- NGDP National Graduate Development Programme for local government
More websites offering graduate jobs, internships and placement years
You may also find useful reviews and application/interview tips for specific organisations on the following websites:
Further study
Students may progress to postgraduate training in professional or vocational areas. They may also continue studying in an area of particular interest. For specific information on further study for social policy graduates, see this Prospects page.