Joe Crabtree (Class of 2021)

What I remember most about Esher was the incredible teachers and the courses. Even during COVID, Meir (my Politics teacher) kept lessons going online almost every day, which made a huge difference and once we returned to college, the teachers really challenged and supported me in the best way, especially in the politics course. The Politics course, in particular, pushed me to think critically and left me far better prepared to understand Parliament and the job I’m doing today than I realised at the time.

I also remember the trip to Parliament. I’d been before, but experiencing it with Esher was special and now, working there feels surreal.

I took a gap year and travelled to India, Thailand, Mexico and America. During that time, I also made a film which combined my two biggest interests which have always been film and politics.

After my gap year, I went on to study PPE, politics, philosophy, and economics, at The University of Manchester. The course was quite specialised, allowing me to choose very specific modules and I ended up focusing more on philosophy than politics so it was my course at Esher that provided the strongest theoretical foundation and prepared me for working in Westminster, from understanding how Parliament functions and how a bill becomes law to the roles of MPs and Lords, as well as the day-to-day skills I rely on now.

It was my filmmaking that stood out. My gap-year film helped me get interviews, and my digital skills matched what my MP was looking for. The process was tough, hundreds apply for each role, but I was determined and I learnt to tailor my CV for each application, and this made a big difference.

Eventually, the MP I now work for took a chance on me because he wanted to prioritise video content, so it was the perfect match.

Monday to Thursday I’m in the office in Parliament. Monday to Wednesday are busiest because all MPs are in. Fridays are working from home days since most MPs are in their constituencies.

My days involve managing social media, monitoring comments, especially on Facebook, which is huge for local issues, keeping up with news, and developing video ideas. I write, direct, edit and publish short political videos. I also work with think tanks and research organisations to gather information.

It’s challenging but I absolutely love it. On Sunday nights, I’m excited for the week ahead!

Definitely the council tax video I made. It now has 1.5 million views and was even mentioned by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, during her address to MPs. It helped influence the introduction of a new mansion tax in the recent budget — which is surreal to even say.

I shot that video in my second week in the role, so it’s been crazy. Hearing senior people say they’d seen it was mind-blowing. We’ve got more video campaigns coming up, including one on empty homes in London.

You can watch Joe’s video on Council Tax here Council Tax is a joke, let’s sort it out.

Focus on developing practical skills beyond your academic course, things like filmmaking, social media, or design. Always tailor your CV to each role, and for jobs in parliament like mine use the Work for an MP website. And don’t assume you need connections. Coming from state schools, I know it can feel daunting, but there’s space for everyone and many MPs are keen to bring in people from diverse backgrounds.

Probably dark chocolate because it’s heathier, even if it sounds a bit boring!