Leon Dammone

Which UCL programme did you graduate from?

I graduated from MA Russian Studies in September 2024. 

I studied a mixture of political sociology modules and methodology modules (qualitative methods, data analysis),) but was keen to engage in the fantastic language teaching SSEES offers too! 

I wrote my thesis on how populism featured in different Russian political opposition figures’ communication campaigns after the death of Alexei Navalny.

How did you find your first job after graduation?

At first when I thought of ‘the public sector’ I was only aware of the Civil Service Fast Stream and NHS graduate schemes which are widely advertised. 

I only found out about my current scheme (Impact: the Local Government Graduate Programme) a few days before applications closed. At the same time, I was volunteering with Camden Council as a Digital Inclusion Champion, which was an opportunity I found through UCL’s volunteering page.

I found that the experience I had volunteering out in the community exposed me to some of the great work local authorities do here in London. I ended up applying over the Christmas break and progressed through several rounds of interviews and assessments for 6 months. The rest is history!

How does your knowledge and skills learned from UCL/SSEES help you get your first job?

SSEES gave me a fantastic springboard into working in the public sector. I was able to lean into the methodology modules that form the basis of hard skills for conducting social research sector. I also found that area studies was a great think to talk about in interviews. It really makes you stand out to employers! Year abroad programmes, alongside studying foreign languages and cultures is a great way of showing curiosity, the ability to adapt, and above all, see other perspectives which may be very different from one’s own. Unsurprisingly, my volunteering experience also featured in my various job interviews.

What advice would you give to current SSEES students for successful job hunting?

1) Pick a balance of modules you know you’ll enjoy and ones that focus on hard skills or might be outside of your comfort zone. They might seem risky, but that module with a group project involved or with data analysis opportunities will help to diversify your experiences at university. I went into one of those final year / MA methodology modules thinking I’d be bored witless for a semester - I ended up loving it and now use those skills in my job almost every day!

2) Volunteering can be a great start and an effective way to flesh out your CV beyond the academic skills you get in lectures and seminars (particularly for teamwork and dealing with difficult people). I was so impressed with the UCL volunteering and careers websites having joined from a different undergraduate University! Employers aren’t asking you to have done these experiences every day for 6 months; little and often can be just as effective and allow you to manage your studies at the same time.

3) Say yes to as many opportunities as you can. You can always say no after!