Interested in a career that makes a difference in government or politics? These Royal Holloway graduates are developing careers in these areas.

Mustafa Rana

Private Secretary to Permanent Secretary of the Home Office

Mustafa briefs the Permanent Secretary on various issues around Asylum, Immigration and Borders. He maintains relationships with Directors across the Home Office and has been involved in many important Government priorities including the clearance of the Calais camp and the Grenfell Tower Fire.

Mustafa’s advice to those wanting to enter the industry,“Don’t plan too much – look at the current political context and see what interesting opportunities are available to you. Always be nice – you never know who is going to be your boss in a few years!”

Mustafa holds a bachelor’s degree from Royal Holloway University of London in History and International Relations.

Jack O’Neill

Vice President Education and Deputy President at Royal Holloway Students’ Union

Jack O’Neill’s role as Education Officer is to ensure that students’ academic interests are represented; this ranges from participating in (many) College Committees, heading up the academic representation structure and running campaigns to best improve students’ experiences at Royal Holloway.

He would sum up his role in three words as, “Different every day!”. The best part of his job is the student interaction, whilst the challenge is always being able to represent everyone – on every issue from academic to wellbeing and campaigning.

Jack holds a bachelor’s degree from Royal Holloway University of London in History and International Relations.

Max Lawson

Programme Officer at the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime

Max is responsible for strategic oversight of the Metropolitan Police. His role sits in the Criminal Justice Team and current projects include tackling re-offending and working with vulnerable groups, to ensure their specialised needs are being met by the justice system.

Max says, “Government is an incredibly dynamic field to work in, with administrations (both nationally and locally) changing with each election and developing new priorities. It’s a rewarding field of work to be in, and the people you meet are all passionate and caring.”

Max holds a bachelor’s degree from Royal Holloway University of London in Geography. 

Scott Franklin

Digital Content Officer, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Cabinet Office

Scott Franklin was part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting – the largest event since the London 2012 Olympics. His role was to ensure that Facebook, Twitter and Instagram had daily digital content to increase exposure of the summit across the globe.

Soon to be moving to the Department of International Trade, Scott’s time as a Social Media Marketing Manager in the Royal Holloway Diplomatic Society provided him with the vital skills to get his first job.

Scott holds a BSc degree from Royal Holloway, University of London in Management with International Business.