I became a councillor to change people’s lives. It left me drained, bewildered and burned out | Kimberly McIntosh

But after finally getting my foot in the door, I was shocked by the realities of the job – starting with the selection process. A gruelling schedule of door-knocking to drum up local support for candidates was encouraged, and the campaigning expectations completely took over my life. My hours were tracked mercilessly in an app by the local campaigning team that fed them back to the regional bosses. In the run-up to an election, you are expected to complete five two-hour sessions a week, with an extra weekend session every fortnight on top, alongside your day job. If you don’t make your hours, you face the chop.